A Bond of Power
by Adstradea
Summary: A story about the CPUs and a new pair of mysterious characters that enter the fray, along with the multitude of trials they all face. Morals will clash and resolves will be tested. This is a tale of retribution and understanding, of forging bonds and vows made, and of what people will do to protect what they believe in. (Takes place after the events of VII. Expect a long one.)
1. Reminiscence of Before

**Hey there! Welcome to this installment in the Neptunia archive! I really do hope that you stick with this story and see it through to the end. I have big plans for it and I hope you'll be around to see them.**

**This Author's Note was originally going to be much longer, but I've decided to put the rest of it at the bottom of this chapter. Something about not wanting to scare away any potential readers? Yeah. Please don't run away…**

**So right now, I really, really hope you'll enjoy this read. Have fun!**

* * *

**Prologue:**

Do I remember all of it? Of course I do. We both do. I remember eeeeeverything about what happened back then, all the way back to when this all started. Or… I think I do. I remember most things, okay?

Yes, I do realize that I'm talking to myself, but so what? Do I find it weird? Not at all. Getting worried about whether or not I seem weird just so isn't me.

Especially since he thinks I'm fine. That's all that really matters to me. Everyone else could give me up and I wouldn't care, so long as he's still with me, supporting me.

It's kinda like that's already the situation we're in, huh? Nobody else to turn to, everyone who was around at the time's either betrayed us or died.

Not like there's many people from back then that are still alive anyway… Besides him and I, there's only one other person who was with us around that time who's still alive.

And it's… not exactly like we're on the best of terms with her either. She was the one who started this whole thing anyway. She was the one who changed our lives, as well as so many others, forever.

She was the one who ruined our previous lives.

Who is this "Him" and "He" that I keep talking about? Oh, only the most important person in my life. When I said that I only needed him around me to keep me going, I meant it.

Everyone else could be dead, but if he was still with me, I'd keep going. The only two left in our own little world. I wouldn't care. As long as he's with me.

Oh, right, about back then… Let's see here… Gotta recall some memories really quick. Hmmm… Okay, here we go. A brief, vague rundown of a particular day.

A painful day that shouldn't have even happened in the first place. He's told me plenty of times about his perspective, and we've both spoken about it a ton. We're super close, after all.

Buuuuut I'm getting sidetracked again.

I remember going through a lot of pain. And it wasn't only physical. The mental kind, as well. The kind that stays with you, and the kind that can change you.

We'd already been through many days of pain. And it wasn't just us two. There was a whole group of us at the time. Quite a large one, too.

Ahh, remembering their faces… It brings back so many good and bad memories. A lot of those memories are stained with red, unfortunately. Especially on that day…

I snapped.

There was so much destruction… The facility we were held in was torn to the ground. And as we ran away, escaping with our lives, destruction was left in our wake. You can imagine what the fate was for anyone involved…

It was a massacre. Nobody was left standing after it. Not those who were with us, our friends and family. And not those that had hurt us, who had tortured us, who had caused us so much undue pain and suffering.

Except… for her. The one who had started it all. The one who was still around to this day. The person… No, she's a monster. The monster we're looking for.

Who caused the massacre and destruction on that day? I know all too well…

I did.

I did it for him. Nobody else is more important than him. He thinks the same of me. He always helps me, always supports me, and is always… there. He's always there for me.

And he always will be.

Nobody can take him away from me. We belong to each other. Nobody else can have him. Nobody but me.

And if anybody tries…

I'll kill them.

We've always been by each other's sides, always there for each other to rely on. We're going to do what we said we'd do all those years ago, together.

And we will continue to be together.

No matter what, we'll be together.

Now, and forever.

Always.

* * *

**And… prologue, done.**

**I hope you enjoyed it! I know it's kinda vague, but I can't exactly spoil everything in the prologue, can I?**

**This Author's Note is kinda weird for me to make. You see, at first I didn't have a prologue. So I wrote this after the first chapter had already been published. So it's kinda like this is from the future, right? ****Yeah. The next AN's will be untouched as a result.**

**So I guess… here's a quick summary?**

**I do seem to write quite long chapters, which you'll hopefully see! Just a heads up.**

**If I could, I'd allocate more than two genres to this story. It fits into way more than just two.**

**It does have action, but it's not in every chapter. There are breaks in fights and encounters, for examples. When there are fight scenes, I tend to be very descriptive in an attempt to make them stand out from other fight scenes that I've seen before.**

**I like to put a lot of emphasis on character interaction so that I properly flesh out and develop characters. This applies to the existing characters as well as my OCs. ****I really do try to make my OCs different from the standard generic OCs you see floating around everywhere. I try to make them feel like they properly belong in the world.**

**There will be a lot of questions you think of when reading this story, and trust me, they will be answered! Or at least, I'll do my best to answer them. Just… not immediately. Patience is a virtue, they say.**

**Geez, this is a long one…**

**So yeah! I really hope that I've intrigued you enough to give this story a chance! I have big plans for it, and it's probably gonna be a long one. So stick around, enjoy the ride, and don't be afraid to ask me anything! Any and all reviews are more than welcomed, and you can even message me if you want. I'm open to that stuff, don't worry.**

**So… yeah.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	2. The Start(Continuation)

**Hello everyone! This is my first time writing… anything like this, so it's a mixture of excitement and nervousness to have this put onto the internet. Kinda new to this, nothing super serious, just an interesting hobby I thought I'd try out.**

**I'm not exactly sure what I should be rating this, because it may or may not get a tad darker in the future, so for now I'll just put it at Teen(T). Nothing so incredibly bloody and gory, probably just a little bit more dark themes and descriptive sequences. Nothing to traumatize you for life or whatever, hopefully, but still!**

**I had an idea about how a relationship not explored in the Neptunia series would play out, and I kind of just started running wild with ideas about how to incorporate it into its own story, and here we are! So please, enjoy the first chapter of my first story, ever.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: **

In a forest in the nation of Leanbox, two people emerged from the large span of greenery. A girl, and a boy. Having just left the forest, the two could view the towering green and white structures off in the distance. That was where they were heading. Or at least, near there.

The two continued walking along a path heading towards the city. The girl looked around herself, all the while admiring the beauty of nature around her. The boy, too, looked around him for any signs of danger. Or people.

Not stopping in her stride, the girl turned her head to the boy. "How long have we been going like this? Without any info to go off of?"

"I'm not sure."

"Great."

After a short pause, the boy looked towards the girl. "It won't be much longer. I'm sure of it."

The girl put her hands to her hips while walking. "And just how can you be so sure?"

"I found new info. I know how to get back."

The girl's face lit up in happiness. "Really?! How'd you find out?"

"I'll tell you later." said the boy with a small smile.

"Fine… But that's amazing news! Really! We can finally return…"

"Yes, we can."

"And we can find her."

"…Yes."

* * *

**Morning:**

It was around seven o'clock in the morning, with Neptune sleeping as soundly as ever. She had stayed up late last night, slacking off as usual, and trying to avoid Histoire to the best of her abilities. And yet, it wasn't enough.

"Neptune," came a quiet voice.

"…"

"Neptune."

"…huh?"

"Neptune, if you don't wake up, Histoire will punish you again."

Neptune opened her eyes slightly to spot Nepgear next to her, poking her softly while trying to wake her up. "Whaddyasay?"

"Come on, sis, you know what will happen if you don't get up. Do you want another lecture?"

"Fine, fine, I submit… Give me a bit…"

And so, Neptune, with likeness to a sloth, got out of bed, got dressed and proceeded to the main part of her living quarters. Only to be greeted by Histoire.

"Hello, Neptune," said the little book fairy.

"Hey Histy, you want something?"

The little fairy strained her face a bit. "Did you forget about last night already, Neptune?"

"Ummmm…" She remembered her usual slacking off, but was there something else she was missing? "I… I really can't remember… must've been really tired."

"Oh?", said Histoire, "How about you try again. Nepgear, if you would be so kind as to help your sister."

"Y-Yes, Histoire. Neptune, do you remember what you did last night?"

"If you mean the general goofing off and totally not avoiding Histy part, yes."

"Do you remember what Histoire said last night?"

"Uhhh… "Do your work"? Geez, Nep Jr., I'm not Sherlock Neps. You gotta give more concrete stuff to work off of. Concrete is super hard, and tough to change or maybe… miss and stuff. Yeah, let's go with that."

Nepgear paused. "She said that you would have to do some quests today, near the border of Leanbox…"

"…Okaaaay?"

"…and she said that if you didn't, she would take away your allowance, your pudding, and your games."

Neptune was flabbergasted. Those things were what practically made her world go round. Well, besides all the essentials of the body, and the faith of her people, maybe some gravity and… wait, does Gamindustri even revolve around something, if even at all? Are we just some flat plain of existence, shooting through dimensional space? What if…

"Neptune, are you listening?" said Histoire, with a visibly annoyed face.

Neptune reclaimed her senses. "Uhh, yeah, sure. Wait! Have at ye, fiend! You would dare to take away that which makes me a Nep?! Huzzah!"

"You sound really weird, sis…"

"Yeah, that was kinda out of nowhere, sorry 'bout that."

Histoire continued. "…anyway, if you would prefer to keep these things, and not have them confiscated like a child, you should get going and do some of those quests I told you about!"

Ultimately out of options, Neptune gave in. "Yeah, yeah, just no minimum wage, okay?"

* * *

**A bit later:**

Just under an hour later, both Neptune and Nepgear were about to arrive at the Guild, where they were to pick up some requested quests. Nobody else was really up this early to do quests here, so it was mostly empty, except for the employees. They were all at their respective desks, waiting for anybody to arrive to claim a quest or bounty.

Before they went inside, Neptune had a thought. "Hey, Nepgear, how's about you go claim the quests while I wait outside?"

Nepgear eyed her a bit warily. "Neptune, I really don't want to be the only one to do these quests. I would rather do them alongside you. It's been a bit since we've done something like this…"

"Oh, no way in Nep am I ditching you, sista! I'm just going to make a call, is all, to contact a… p-all. Dangit, I didn't do that right. I'm calling Vert, to see if she wants to help."

Nepgear looked relieved at this revelation. "Oh, I'm glad. And that's a good idea, Neptune. It would make it a bit easier, but I'm scared that Histoire will shout at us for it…"

"Oh, you worry too much. Besides, there are two other reasons, besides the lightening of loads, to bring her with us!"

"Oh, really? What are they?"

Neptune prepared herself. "Okay, so, number one is… She can spend some time with us. When it comes to the games, the anime, and other of our stuff, Vert and I don't really interact much on screen. And it doesn't even happen much in stories like these, where literally ANYTHING could happen! We're really good buddies, trust me!"

Nepgear was a bit confused at this statement. "Uh, o-okay, Neptune. And number two…"

"…is that she knows the area better than I do. Since where we are going is near the Planeptune-Leanbox border, which doesn't really exist seeing as Leanbox is on its own island, Vert does sometimes travel there to the edges of Leanbox to complete some quests, since most of them have to do with clearing some monsters out that travel between Planeptune and Leanbox. You know, with the whole wing and fin things?"

This statement stunned Nepgear for a bit. She just stared at Neptune for a good five seconds, saying nothing.

"Uhh…Nepgear?"

"Neptune, that's actually a really well thought out reason! I'm so glad that at least one wasn't a joke!"

Neptune collapsed, defeated by those evil words emanating from her sister's mouth. "But they were both serious…", she said, jumping back up. "Whatever, I'm going to do the thing, and you go do that thing, okay?"

"Okay then, I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

**Leanbox Basilicom** :

It was a lovely day in Leanbox, as usual, Vert thought to herself. It was bright outside, with nary a cloud in sight. The night before, too, was wonderful.

Vert stayed up late last night, and yet not as late as usual, due to a great success. She and her guild had performed a successful raid last night in almost record time, a record previously set by them. She had gotten to bed early, for her. At around one in the morning.

"Ah, I should do some work during the day, so that I won't be constrained later tonight, for our next raid," she said, sipping on some freshly brewed Darjeeling tea that she made herself, of course. "It would be a shame to be cooped up with paperwork on a beautiful day like this, so I think I shall do some quests today."

She looked at the room, noticing how little was going on. Unlike the other CPU's she was not blessed with a little sister, and her oracle, Chika, had been away for quite some time. Like a whole two games worth of time.

This saddened her, realizing how lonely her living space felt. "If only I had someone to spend the day with…" She sat there in silence for a while. "Oh well, guess I'd better get prepared for the coming day."

After she finished her tea, she finished the accompanying meal, got washed up and dressed, and prepared to head out. Just then, she received a call from Neptune. "Oh, what could this be about?" She answered the call and greeted. "Hello Neptune, how are you on this fine day?"

"Oh hello Vert, yeah it's great and all that jazz, but yeah, can I ask you a little favour?"

This surprised and intrigued Vert, so she complied. "Yes, what is it that you would like me to do?"

"Well, Nepgear and I are doing some quests and stuff today, and we gotta fly over to your side over yonder to complete them. So I was wondering if you'd like to tag along? You'd be a great help to the both of us!"

With little hesitation, Vert answered. "Why yes, I was planning on doing some quests today as well, so it should be no problem. I can guide you through the areas as well, so don't worry about bringing a map or anything."

"Yes, thank you! I knew you'd help us out! Where should we meet ya?"

Vert pondered for a few seconds. "Hmmmmm... How about at the Guild closest to the edge of Leanbox. Does that sound good?"

"Yes indeedy, it sounds great. I might know how to get there, maybe, so we might take a bit longer than a bit."

Glad that the arrangements were over, Vert decided to start heading out. "Okay, glad that's all sorted out. I'll see you there in, well, as you said, "a bit longer than a bit". Goodbye for now, Neptune."

"Bye Vert! Byeeeeeeeeee!"

And with that, the call was over, and Vert was on her way out.

* * *

**Leanbox Guild:**

Vert arrived at the guild, and decided to wait inside. It was a little later into the hour, maybe a half hour, since Neptune had called, so it was a bit busier than when Vert had started on her way. She was greeted by the staff members, who she greeted back and even spoke to for a bit. It was always a pleasure to speak to her citizens and to find out how a little portion of their lives felt like.

Vert decided to sit down at a table near a cafeteria in the guild. Civilians walked by, and those that noticed her greeted her with wide smiles and heartfelt greetings. She waited there for another fifteen or so minutes when something a little… strange… happened.

A pair of young civilians, maybe teenagers, entered the Guild. One was a boy, and one was a girl. They walked straight past Vert and had not noticed her. Vert figured that not everyone would notice her out of the corner of their eye, and continued on as normal.

They walked straight up to the counter of the guild, and started to ask some questions. Vert could not make out what sort of questions they were, but the two did catch her interest, so she attempted to listen in. She heard a bit of what the girl was saying…

"…so how far are we away from the edge of the island?"

Vert found that question strange. For a civilian in Leanbox, a land known for its tourist attractions and travel, to not know about the general landscape was a bit… odd to her. "Maybe this is their first time travelling outside Leanbox?", thought Vert.

"…what's it like out there in the other nations? What are their names again?"

This was very strange to Vert. How could somebody living in Gamindustri not know general information about the other nations, let alone the names of the nations? While Vert was thinking this, she realized that she had been staring at the boy while deep in thought. She immediately averted her gaze, but looked back.

The boy had been staring at her as well. With a neutral face, except for the eyebrows furrowing ever so slightly, he just stared at her. For a while, Vert wondered what that could be about.

"…well, anyway, thanks for the help! We might be back again later, so watch out for us, 'kay?" They started to leave. Vert's curiosity was piqued, and she decided to help them, or at least question them, for a while.

"Why, hello there, you two. I heard you asking a few questions, and it seemed like you were not that successful. May I offer you two my help? I am quite knowledgeable about this world and this nation in particular."

They both turned around to look at her. The girl with a slight smile, and the boy with the same expression as before. Vert noticed that the boy had an odd looking scar on the side of his neck, and wondered what could have caused it.

The girl answered. "Oh, yeah, sure, please help us. We're kind of new around here, and we haven't really traveled a lot."

"We haven't traveled outside of… Leanbox, before," said the boy.

"Oh, that's no problem at all," assured Vert. "Now, what would you like to know?"

"Okay, so, how do we get across the water? To the city on the other side… uh…"

"Planeptune, to the city in Planeptune," finished the boy.

"Yeah, there!"

"Don't worry, that's easy." started Vert. "There are light bridges you can take to cross the way. It may take some time on foot, so I recommend taking a car. It would be so much easier if you two could just fly, like the Goddesses. It would make it incredibly quick."

"Oh, don't worry about it, we'll sort that out somehow! Thanks for the info!"

"Is there not anything else you would like to know?"

The girl put a finger to her mouth contemplatively. "Ummm… we know the names, we know how to get across… how are the monsters on the other side?"

"They're not too much trouble if you stay on the paths. You two look competent enough, so I'm sure even if you were to stray into the wild for a bit that you'd come out fine. Be careful though, with a larger landmass comes a larger variety of species, so expect to see some monsters you haven't encountered before."

The girl maintained her smile, showing some of her teeth."Oh, don't worry about that! We've seen a lot of monsters."

"That we have. Thank you for the information, it was very useful," answered the boy, this time.

"It is no problem, I'm glad to be of help."

The girl looked to the boy, and then to Vert. "Well, we'll be going now! It was nice to meet you… uh… I didn't ask for your name, sorry…"

"Vert. My name is Vert, and the pleasure was all mine. May I ask for your name?"

The pair stopped and stared at each other for a tiny bit. The girl turned around and smiled at Vert. "You can call me Ren! It's not my full name, but if we ever meet each other again, we can talk for longer! Maybe even go questing together! Bye-bye for now, Vert!"

"Yes, goodbye for now, Ren!" And with that, Ren turned to catch up with the boy, and they both continued until they were out of sight.

A few minutes later, Vert was back in her seat. That conversation was not for nothing.

A pair of individuals, seemingly unaware of any information about the other nations, and possibly even Leanbox, asking about how to travel to Planeptune. And yet, the girl claimed to have seen many monsters and to have no issue with the trip. Vert would be lying if she said she had not thought both of their actions to be a little suspicious.

What's more, she even referred to the Goddesses, and gave the girl her real name, which would be a dead giveaway to anyone, enough to realize that she is the Goddess of Leanbox. And yet they did not react to it in any way like a normal civilian would when meeting the ruler of Leanbox.

It was all very strange. But maybe it was just Vert. She did know that she had quite the active imagination and might just be making this all into something bigger than what it actually is.

At that point, Neptune and Nepgear arrived. "Look Neptune, it's Vert over there!"

"You're darn right Nep Jr. Yo, Vert, it's been a while! Like, an hour, or just over…maybe."

Vert snapped back to reality. "Oh, it's you two. Hello, and welcome once again, it is so good to see you two again!", she said, giving them both a hug.

"Yeah, it's been a hot minute or many since we've been together in the flesh. How 'bouts we go give that food place over there a good what-for, hey, and we can talk there?", said Neptune, eyeing out the dessert section.

"It's nice to see you again Vert, I'm glad you agreed to join us!", greeted Nepgear. "I agree with Neptune, but I think we should maybe also organize everything there as well, and make sure we all know what we need to do."

"Yes, yes that's a great idea Nepgear. Let's go, then."

Neptune pointed towards the ceiling and spun to face the food area. "Onwaaaaard!"

"Hey, Vert?"

"Yes, Nepgear?"

"You looked a little preoccupied when we arrived. Is everything alright?"

"Oh yes, everything is fine. I was just thinking about something. It wasn't anything too important, so there is no need to worry."

"If you say so…"

"Well then, shall we follow Neptune?"

* * *

**A while later:**

"I really don't think you should've said that last part about your name and about meeting her again. It could end up causing trouble in the future."

"I know, I know, but come on, can't I be a tiny bit friendly to people when we meet them and they help us?"

"I guess. It would have been suspicious to not have given some sort of alias when she asked for your name, so that was a good call from you, thinking back on it now."

"You seeeee, I'm not dumb or anything."

"I wouldn't ever call you that."

"I know, and I also know that you're just trying to protect me, so I appreciate that."

"…Thank you, for getting that."

"Mmhmm. Besides, if we ever were to meet again, it would help to get some more information when we need it. And she seems like a nice person too, so I wouldn't mind just chatting with her every once in a while."

"I understand that, but I don't think it's very likely that we'll be able to talk on that kind of basis, or even be able to meet again."

"Yeah… Just a nice thought… So, Planeptune, right?"

"Yes. And from there, we get more info. Probably at the guild."

"Okay then. Let's get going."

* * *

**Near the edge of Leanbox:**

"Veeeeeert, are we theeeere yeeeet?"

"Yes, Neptune, we're just outside the perimeter. The area in which we find the monsters is a forested area near the beach closest to here. We are to clean up said area of any large, flying monsters, as well as any water-dwelling creatures that are on land."

"I think we should start with the forest and work our way to the beach. That way, if they retreat inland, we can see them easier.", said Nepgear.

"Great idea, sis, let's have at 'em!"

And with that, the three goddesses started working their way to the water.

"Some of the monsters are said to be a bit tough around this area, so it should be a great chance to exercise a bit.", said Vert.

"Hopefully nothing too difficult…", came Neptune. "I don't really feel like going home covered with bumps and bruises."

"Sis, you mustn't be lazy. Histoire chose these quests for you so that you can maintain you current strength without too much hassle. So, please try?"

"I will, don't worry. Just force of habit, kinda."

Vert stopped and summoned her spear. "Both of you, watch out! It appears we have encountered our first group of enemies."

They were all flying creatures. A few phoenix-class enemies, and one flying whale.

Neptune thought for a bit. Would the whale fall under the flying type or the water type? She knew that the creature was OBVIOUSLY flying, but she also knew that most whales were under the water. This confused her a bit, so much so that she didn't see an approaching phoenix.

"Sylhet Spear!"

A giant spear appeared from a glyph besides Vert, piercing the phoenix in its chest, shattering it into pieces.

"Wow, thanks Vert! I sorta spaced out for a bit there!"

"And why… would that be, Neptune?", said Vert, casting more spears at the phoenixes. Nepgear, on the other hand, was firing energy beams at the whale while moving around and maintaining a safe distance from it.

"Uhhh… well… super important stuff, that's for sure! No doubt about it!"

"I see…"

"Yeah, you do! You have eyes!"

And on that note, Neptune entered the battle. She was the frontline, while Vert and Nepgear mostly stayed out of range, occasionally dashing in for a few quick hits.

Neptune rushed at a phoenix. She pointed too it, casting her 32-Bit Megablade. The creature noticed it and retreated back as the blade exploded. Neptune had jumped above the flaming bird as it was distracted, landing behind it. Initiating her Victory Slash, her first two beams cut straight into the enemy's wings, bringing it to the ground. For the final swing, Neptune ran straight to the phoenix, making contact with it as she shot out the energy, destroying the phoenix.

The only remaining enemy was the whale. Nepgear was still firing beams at it, while Vert dashed across it repeatedly with quick and precise cuts. Vert landed below the whale and launched upward, slashing across it's side while preparing her spell, Inbetween Spear.

Nepgear took this opportunity to charge her blade, shooting a wave of energy at the creature, stunning it. As the energy from Nepgear's attack dissipated, a half-dozen spears made their way towards the back of the whale, each piercing it and forcing it to the floor.

Neptune, having just finished her fight, sent a Megablade at the whale, keeping it on the floor, after which both Vert and Nepgear landed on its back, simultaneously dealing the finishing blow.

The dust settled, and Vert dusted off her dress. "Well, that went well, for the most part. I'm fairly certain that was all that was requested on the quests we received, so it appears we are done now."

"Oh, thank the Makers. Wait, they're not here. Anyway, is there anywhere to rest around here, Vert?", suggested Neptune. "I'm a bit tuckered out."

"Why yes, there is. We can spend some time relaxing on the beach just past the forest."

"Alright then, to the beach we go!"

They arrived at the beach soon after. It looked to be around midday, as the sun was high in the sky. They stayed there for a while, talking to each other and enjoying one another's company. Around a half an hour later, they decided to leave.

"Well, it certainly was nice spending a few hours with you two.", said Vert, smiling at the both of them.

"It sure was, although I woulda wanted to spend a bit longer here. Histy's probably got some more work for me when I get back, but alas…"

Vert looked at her with a kind expression. "Yes, it would've been quite pleasant if that were to have happened. But unfortunately, it appears that paperwork is a necessity, even on a wonderful day like this…" She looked out into the ocean once more. "And my guild might be starting to come online soon, so I have to prepare for another raid tonight."

Nepgear made a slightly worried face. "Vert, I don't know how you get enough sleep. Maybe you should try some healthier sleeping patterns…"

"Oh, sweet Nepgear, I appreciate your concern, but worry not. I have my ways of staying healthy. But yes, I shall be making my way back now." Vert transformed and started to float into the sky. "Remember, do not hesitate to call me if you so desire. You are both welcomed here anytime." And with that, she quickly flew off, soon becoming a flash of green, and disappearing into the sky.

"So Nep Jr., we should probably make our way back to our slave-driver, huh?"

"I don't think she would like to hear you say that, Neptune…"

And they, too, transformed, and flew off towards Planeptune.

Meanwhile, Vert's earlier encounter with the mysterious pair still nagged at the back of her mind. Perhaps she would investigate further, just to be safe…

* * *

**Lastation Basilicom**

Noire was at her desk, working away as efficiently as ever. She had already finished a bit of work, and today seemed to not be too busy. Perhaps she would be finished soon and have time to relax, or complete some quests for the guild…

Just as she thought this, she received a call from Histoire. "From Histoire? That's a little odd…"

She picked up. "Yes, hello Histoire."

"Hello Noire, how are you today?"

"Same as usual, just doing some paperwork at the moment. Was there any reason you called me today?"

"Yes, I have a small favour to ask. I need you to supervise Neptune as she performs some delivery quests around the city."

"Why not just ask Nepgear to supervise her?"

"I will be having Nepgear complete some of the paperwork piling up on Neptune's desk. I cannot do all of it, and Neptune simply lazes about refusing to do it."

"Oh, well, yeah, I can see that.", said Noire, amusingly.

"Which is why I called you. You somehow know how to deal with her, so please make sure that she completes her task without being sidetracked by any food or shiny objects.", said Histoire.

"Well, yeah…"

"So please, can you help us?"

"…Yes, I guess I can. I'll be out there in a few minutes, I just have to finish up here."

"Oh, thank you, Noire! I'll notify Neptune to meet you at the nearest guild when she arrives back."

"Oh, she was out?"

"Yes, completing some quests by Leanbox."

"Hm, I see. Well then, I'll get prepared. Goodbye, Histoire."

"Goodbye, Noire."

And with that, Noire got up from her seat and made her way to Uni's room. She knocked on the door.

"Uhhh… Hello, Uni? Are you here?"

"Yes, sis, just give me a moment!", came a voice from across the room on the other side of the door.

It opened in front of Noire, revealing Uni. "Yes, Noire?"

"Well, I need you to cover some of the paperwork while I'm gone. I got a call from Histoire asking me to help her out with Neptune, so I'll be leaving soon."

"Oh, well, um, yeah. I was about to start working myself, just finishing some maintenance on a few of my weapons."

"Good… I mean, thanks."

"Yeah… no problem, Noire."

It was silent for a few seconds.

Noire scratched her neck awkwardly. "Well, um, yes, I've got to get going now, so I'll see you later. I don't know how long I'll be, so expect me to be gone for a few hours."

"Oh, okay then. Goodbye Noire."

"Goodbye, Uni."

Noire made her way back to her room, and walked out to her balcony. She transformed, and started lifting herself into the air. "I just hope Neptune doesn't cause anything bad to happen."

And with that, she was on her way to Planeptune.

* * *

**That's that! I'm obviously setting up for those two characters, and more information will come up about them as this progresses. I want to make sure I give this idea justice, so I really do want this to turn out good. **

**Please tell me what you thought about it, anything you thought was a little… off, or odd, or whatever you want to call it, and please be honest! I want to improve, so it really does help!**

**Goodbye for now, and I hoped you enjoyed it!**


	3. Colour

**So, chapter 2 already! I honestly didn't think that it would come out so quickly, so please don't expect this to be the regular upload schedule. I'm just bursting with ideas at the moment, so it sort of just… comes together by itself, at the moment. Yeah. And I'm off for a while, seeing as there's holidays where I am at the moment, so once school starts again, it won't be so regular. I'll still try though!**

* * *

**Chapter 2:**

"Sooo, where are we going, specifically?"

"A Guild in Planeptune. I know it's close to a park, with a forest just past said park."

"Same old, same old routine, then…"

"Yes. Gather more information. I haven't told you how we're going back yet, have I?"

"Uh, no, you haven't. Still in the dark here."

"I'm sorry about that. I'll be sure to tell you after we make a temporary base camp, so probably tomorrow. We'll have to do that after we gather some information. Would you be up for doing a few quests in the forest? We could set up camp, complete a few of the quests, then settle down for the day."

"Yeah, I'm down for that. I hope it's a pretty place, at least."

"I'll make sure it is. And also, this time, let me do the talking. I'll need to do that more as we progress, so I'd like to get started on that front."

"Ooooh, since when were you all sociable and stuff?"

"Very funny."

"I'm glad you're trying, at least."

"Likewise. I just hope that there's no trouble while we're there. That lady from before was enough for one day."

"She was nice, though. Hey, do you think we'll run into any of the Goddesses? I wonder what they look like?"

"If we do, I hope they don't try to stop us. Dealing with multiple CPUs would be a bit of a hindrance."

"Are you saying I couldn't take them on?"

"I'm saying it would be inconvenient. You know I have faith in you."

"And that makes me happy."

"Me too. Our little adventure doesn't involve these CPUs."

"Just the other one."

"Yes. We don't need these ones chasing us."

"I would hate to have to fight them."

"I would, too. Let's get going."

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom:**

Having just arrived back at the Basilicom's living quarters, Neptune practically burst through the door. "Histy, I'm hooooooome!"

"Hello again, Histoire.", greeted Nepgear from behind Neptune.

"Welcome back, Neptune, Nepgear, I hope you two were successful."

Neptune nodded vigorously at Histoire. "Indeederoni, we were! It was all pow, slash, and bam! We totally got some shares from that! Hopefully."

"I am glad you feel that way.", said the fairy. "Since you're still so full of energy, I'll have you do some more tasks now."

Neptune fell flat onto her stomach, arms and legs outstretched in a comical manner. "Histy, you come into my house, disrespect me in front of my people…"

"Do not complain. I did not say that those were the only quests that you'd have to do. I'll have you doing some deliveries around the city while Nepgear stays here to do some of YOUR paperwork."

Nepgear looked slightly disappointed at this. "Oh, really? I was hoping to spend a little more time with Neptune…"

"Without you to help me with Neptune, I don't think this nation would stay afloat, Nepgear. I really need this."

Nepgear understood this, but was still a bit disappointed. "Okay, I understand…"

"So, Neptune, I'll have you go to the nearest guild to pick up the requests. You will also have to meet Noire there.", said Histoire.

Neptune raised an eyebrow at this. "Wait, Noire? I thought she'd be all busy and stuff, or did she take some time out of her day for little old me?"

"Neptune, I called her so that you would not squander your duties. She is to supervise you and make sure you don't get distracted and laze about."

"Of course you'd do that. I'm not some child, you know! I know I look super cute and whatever, but you and I both know that I'm practically ageless."

"You're wasting time. Get to it already, or I'll confiscate your precious items right now!"

"Geez, alright, alright, I'm leaving and stuff. Bye-bye, both of you!", said Neptune, waving to both Histoire and Nepgear before closing the door behind her.

"That girl…", fumed Histoire.

"Please calm down, Histoire, it's no good to get angry over it. She's just a little lazy."

"Haaaaah, you're right, Nepgear. At least you are diligent."

"I guess… I just hope nothing goes wrong while she's out there."

* * *

**At a guild in Planeptune:**

Noire had arrived at the Guild soon after her call with Histoire. When she arrived, she noticed that it wasn't that busy, but seeing as it was after midday, most adventurers were already out doing their quests. She was greeted by civilians and employees alike, and made sure to greet them all back.

Noire sat down at a nearby table. **"**How does this nation stay productive, with how lazy Neptune is?", she thought, getting somewhat lost in her own thoughts, closing her eyes and leaning on her left arm. "Planeptune is supposedly the most technologically advanced nation out of us four, but just how does it maintain it? Neptune does nothing ninety-nine percent of the time, and the one percent is usually with the help of someone. And yet, they seem to have no problems staying upright. Sure, they're not exactly winning on the shares department, but they don't seem to mind that either. It's so weird."

As she finished this thought and started to open her eyes, she noticed someone else was sitting at her table. Quite close, in fact. Said person was who she was to supervise.

Noire quickly moved away from said person. "O-oh, uh, hello, Neptune. I was just thinking about something, so I guess I must've zoned out there for a bit."

"You're so weird sometimes, Noire. You know that?"

"Shut up, I'm not. It's your fault for not notifying me when you were here."

"I know, I know, but it was just sort of… funny, seeing you like that. Kinda cute."

Noire felt slightly embarrassed at that comment. "E-Excuse you? How is me thinking about something "cute"? Maybe you should try thinking sometime, as you don't seem to do that often."

"Geez, Noire, it was a joke, calm down! You'll give the readers a bad impression, making it seem like this story is exclusively about shipping and OTP's and whatnot with the way you're reacting!"

"Uh… well I'm not sure what you're trying to say with that last part, but I know it was a joke, okay? It's still embarrassing…" Noire lightly flicked one of her twintails. "A-Anyway, we should get started with what we're here for. I'll come with you to get the requests and we'll head out. It's nothing difficult, so it shouldn't take too long."

Neptune rested her head on the table. "Awww, Noire, can't we just sit here and have something to eat? I had to head out again as soon as I got back to the Basilicom, so I haven't eaten anything since breakfast... Excluding that other thing... But I'm practically starving here! What does food even taste like anymore?!"

"Hmmm…"

Neptune clasped her hands together as she pleaded. "Please, Noire, I'm DYING over heeere!"

Rolling her eyes, Noire submitted. "…Fine, fine, let's just not take too long." She then looked around and signaled for someone to take their order. "So, what would you like to eat, Neptune?"

"I'll have what you're having!"

Noire placed her right arm on the table and placed her hand under her chin. "Um, I'm not particularly hungry, so you'll have to use that head of yours this time."

"Well, if that's the case… I'll go for… the good old classic… hamburger!"

"So not a pudding, this time?"

"I don't JUST eat pudding, you know? I'd be dead by now if that were the case."

Once Noire had ordered the food, the two sat there talking about general happenings in their lives while waiting. The guild was mostly empty by now, so it wasn't too noisy. Neptune was going on about some games she'd been playing, with Noire commenting on the games Neptune mentioned that she'd played as well. Noire asked Neptune about how her earlier quests went, with Neptune explaining it in graphic detail.

"…and I was like, WOOSH, and the big blade appeared in the air, and then I was like, "BEGONE, FOUL WHALE-MON", and it stabbed the whale and stuff. Nepgear and Vert were there to finish it off, and it was like, BLAM, pixels everywhere!"

"Hm, sounds eventful.", commented Noire in a semi-interested tone.

"Awww, Noire, are you jealous I went to Leanbox instead of Lastation?"

Noire narrowed her eyes. "I am not! There's just… not really much else to say about it. I'm not jealous or anything…"

Neptune waved a hand at Noire teasingly. "I know, I know, I'm just teasing you like always. Besides, I already know that you love me."

"Whatever, think that if you want."

They sat there for a few more minutes, talking, when their food arrived. Neptune received her hamburger, and Noire received a small portion of fries.

"Huh? I thought you said you weren't hungry?", asked Neptune.

"Well, I got a little hungry after you mentioned food, and I thought it would be a bit weird to just have you eat and me just sit here, doing nothing."

Neptune shrugged her shoulders. "Makes sense."

They both started eating. Noire finished well before Neptune, seeing as how small her portion was, and how large Neptune's burger was. Neptune may have underestimated how large it was when ordering it, but this was only a plus side to her. Noire took to looking around the Guild, watching the few people pass by. Most of them were in and out, so there wasn't much to pay attention to.

Just then, a pair of people walked past them without even batting an eye at the sight of Neptune and Noire. They went up to one of the employees, and Noire noticed that they were taking longer than the usual thirty second mark, so she decided that she'd pay a little bit of attention to them.

The pair comprised of a boy and a girl. The boy had brown curly hair reaching to a bit above his eyebrows and only just touching his ears. It looked like some strands of his hair were another colour, but they were hard to make out, as if they were intentionally hidden. The girl had straight, elbow length cyan-coloured hair with brown streaks in it. The girl's hair, at least, intrigued Noire. She hadn't seen such a colour combination before, and Noire wondered how she got her hair to look like that. Maybe she should go ask her…

The boy was the one talking, with the girl leaning up against the counter and looking around the guild. The boy was asking some questions. Noire listened in, and could hear a bit of what he was saying…

"…what forest is nearby to here? Virtua? Virtua Forest? Yes… Is there any place in there that we should be aware of avoiding, any place that has been restricted access to… just so we know to avoid it?"

How didn't he know about Virtua Forest? That place was iconic among beginner adventurers, especially in Planeptune. And what did he mean by "restricted access to"? That did sound a little suspicious. Noire then started to look at the girl. She didn't look older than a teenager, maybe around Noire's age if she were a normal human, and the boy looked to be the same as well.

Noire looked at the girl's eyes while she was looking around the guild. It was hard to notice, but her eyes were different colours. The girl's left eye was grey, and her right eye was… maybe a light blue. Or cyan, seeing as it seemed to match her hair colour. Her right eye actually looked a bit odd…

The girl's attention suddenly shifted to Noire. She brandished a smile and waved to Noire. Noire gave a small smile back, and a small wave to go with it. Now that Noire looked at it again, it was probably just the light making her eye look odd, and from the distance that Noire was observing from, it made sense that she would mistake it.

The girl kept looking at her, and it started to make Noire a little uncomfortable. Neptune had just finished eating, and noticed this too.

The girl started to walk towards Noire, tugging at the boy's arm to notify him. He looked at her, seeing that she was already on her way to Noire, and he thanked the employee, following the girl with a small distance between them. He eventually settled with leaning against a table a small distance away from Noire and Neptune's table.

Noire was really nervous now. The girl she had been paying attention to was now walking towards her. Was she weirded out? Noire hadn't been staring, right? What would the girl say? What would SHE say?

"I really like your hair."

Noire looked up at the voice, seeing that the girl was smiling down at her.

"Umm… thank you…"

Neptune sat in silence next to Noire, looking back and forth between the girl and Noire.

While Noire was wondering what would happen next, the girl continued speaking. "I haven't seen such a style before. And such a prominent shade. Raven, right?" She looked back at the boy, who nodded to her. "Sorry, I just wanted to find out about it. It's natural, isn't it? Do you think it would look nice, if my hair were that colour?" She looked at the boy again, who once again nodded his head.

The girl leaned on the table, keeping her head up with her hands. "So… how'd you get it in that style? I know it's a bit random, a stranger coming up to you out of nowhere and asking you about your hair, of all things, but I just had to find out about such beautiful hair!"

Noire was still caught off guard and was even a little embarrassed now. "Um, well, firstly, yes, it's naturally this colour. Naturally raven black."

"Like her soul!", commented Neptune, snickering away as Noire faced her.

Noire angrily turned towards Neptune, who held her hands up defensively. "Shut up Neptune, geez! Sorry, that's just how she is. And I take really good care of my hair, so thank you. I have to part the section of my hair that would fall down my back down the middle, gather each half into a tail, and tie a ribbon around each tail."

"That sounds like a really long process, but also one that requires some practice and talent!"

Noire rubbed her neck shyly. "W-Well, it doesn't take too long after you do it for a while. A-And thank you for the compliments…"

"Oh, it's no problem, just saying it how it is."

"So… can I ask you about your hair? It looks to be naturally straight, but how did you get that sort of colour pairing put in?", asked Noire.

The girl stopped leaning on the table, standing up straight. "Oh, this? It's all natural."

Noire was surprised by this. "Natural? I haven't seen many people with cyan as their natural hair colour, and I've seen nobody with that colour pairing at all before. Did you get it from your parents, or did it just change one day?"

The girl's smile wavered for a split second. The boy quickly looked at the girl, then stared at Noire for a moment. Noire was somewhat off-put by this. His stare was so intense that it made her a bit more nervous, on top of how she was feeling already. The boy then looked back to the girl before turning his gaze to the ground.

The girl seemed to consider her answer. "You could say that it just… appeared one day, yeah. It was quite sudden. Trust me, nobody was expecting it, and it was quite… popular, with people."

Noire was a bit worried that she may have hurt her in some way. "Oh, well that's… good to hear. I didn't mean to ask such a forward question, so I'm…"

The girl waved her hands apologetically at Noire. "Oh, no, it's no problem! It's just that nobody has asked me about my hair before, so I just wasn't expecting it! It's all cool."

"W-Well I haven't really had that happen to me a lot, too. And I haven't been the one asking someone I didn't know before, so that's also new to me…"

"Same here." She looked at the boy, who met her gaze and got up from his leaning position. "It was fun chatting with you, though, albeit a bit out of the blue!"

"Y-Yeah, I guess it was a little random."

"I wouldn't mind continuing, but I kinda need to get going now."

"O-Oh, sure, I understand that.", said Noire, a little sad now.

"Maybe we can continue another time if we ever meet again!"

Noire perked up a little bit. "Yeah, definitely!"

"Goodbye for now, Raven!"

"R-Raven?!", exclaimed Noire.

"Well, I didn't catch your name, so I figured I'd just call you by your hair colour."

"I guess…"

"I guess that makes me Cyan, then, huh?"

"Yeah, it does…"

"But again, goodbye for now Raven! To meeting again!"

"Y-yeah! Goodbye for now, Cyan! To meeting again!"

And with that, the girl and boy made their way outside of the guild.

"Wowee, Noirey, way to go with that girl. You can almost actually talk to someone like a normal person now.", said Neptune, imitating how a master would talk to a disciple. "Almost brings a tear to my eye."

"Shut it, Neptune."

The girl, a fair distance away, turned back one last time and waved back to the guild. Noire saw this and offered back a wave. The girl turned back around, caught up to the boy, and the two continued walking until they were out of sight.

"But seriously, though, I had like, one line in that entire exchange. What's up with that?"

Noire placed a hand to her forehead. "Do you ever stop making fourth-wall breaking jokes?"

"I'm not quite sure of that myself."

"Well, we should probably get the requests now. It's been some time since we've got here."

"Yeah, let's hop to it like a kangaroo!", said Neptune, jumping towards the counter.

The pair collected the requests and made their way out of the guild in the same direction as the girl and boy. They were to go around the city, delivering packages to a few places. This took a little under an hour and was far less arduous than Neptune had anticipated.

"I thought it'd be some kind of timed trial they have in video games!"

"Well, you were wrong, Neptune."

"It was fun though. Thanks for all the help, Noire. I'm not so good with all the formal stuff and whatever."

"I-It's really nothing, Neptune. And yeah… it was a bit fun, I guess."

"Oh? Has your cuter side shown itself once again?", teased Neptune.

"Can you shut up about that already!"

"Fine, fine, for now. In any case, I have to get going. Histy might have a bit more work for me to do, so I'll send you the details of my funeral before I arrive back at the Basilicom."

"As if a little work once in a while would kill you…", said Noire.

"Hey, you never know. I'll be going now. Call me if you ever want to alleviate some of that loner stress of yours."

"Again, can you shut up!"

"But that's the first loner joke I made today…", said Neptune, who then transformed.

"I was serious about the calling part, though.", said Purple Heart, coolly.

"U-uh, um… alright then. I'll think about it."

"Thank you, Noire. I'll see you soon. Goodbye." And with that, she flew off towards Planeptower.

Noire thought to herself for a bit. The day was fun, she had to admit. Neptune was being… well, Neptune, but it was just the two of them, which was pleasant, at least. She might even take Neptune up on that offer she mentioned…

And that earlier interaction with the boy and girl. Sure, Noire was nervous at first, and during it, and yes, there was that really awkward part when she had asked about how the girl's hair got like that, but overall, it was nice. She met a new person who was openly friendly towards her and didn't tease her upon meeting her. In fact, Noire was complimented by the girl, and she even said that she'd like to meet Noire again.

Noire thought that if she were to ever meet that girl again, they would undoubtedly become… friends. And that made Noire happy. Noire seemed to get lost in that thought.

"So, Raven, huh?"

* * *

**Somewhere inside Virtua Forest, under an hour later:**

"I think we should stop here and set up camp for tonight. We can explore the surrounding area for a while, complete a few quests, then we can settle down for the night."

"I'm okay with that. Besides, this is a pretty looking place. There are so many flowers around here, I might just go pick a few!"

"I'm glad you like it. On a different note, you seem to be interacting with more people now, going out of your way to talk with them. That's the second time today we've spoken with someone we don't need to."

"I know, I know, but I can't always just talk to the guild people, they're usually all business. I mean, I'm not saying you're boring to talk to, but a little variety is good now and then."

"I know. I wasn't saying it as a bad thing. It's just been so long since I've seen you do something like that even though you're so friendly to those we meet. It was nice to watch."

"It felt great, too!"

"You kept your composure pretty well during that one part. When she mentioned your hair."

"Yeah… it was a bit difficult, but I'm pretty sure I managed just fine. It wasn't suspicious or anything, right?"

"I wouldn't say so. I'm not so sure about me, though. I may have glared at her for a bit."

"I could practically feel your stare, yeah. You mustn't look so hard at things like that, it makes people uncomfortable!"

"I was just worried something might happen."

"I know, I know. So, what did you manage to buy at the local shops?"

"The essentials. I bought some food, some water, some stuff to clean ourselves with, and of course, some wood to make a fire with."

"Oh woooow, you're so prepared. I'm assuming we got quite a few credits from the quests we did back on… uh… Leanbox?"

"It seems like it. Currency seems to work in the same way as it did back home in each nation, so we should be fine."

"Alright, some good news then."

"Yes. Now, help me set up our camp before we venture out."

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicome:**

"I'm back again, hello everyone!", said Neptune, as she opened the door leading to her living space. "It feels like it's been a lifetime since I've been here."

"Hello, Neptune.", greeted Histoire. "It has been a few hours at most, so don't complain."

Neptune cowered before the mighty histy. "Don't tell me there's more to do! Noooo, please, mercyyyy!"

"No, that's all for today. You may rest for now. Nepgear and I have finished most of the paperwork since you've been gone. She is resting in her room at this time."

"Oh, really? I expected there to be a bit more load on that work."

"Well, ever since the recovery from the CPU-shift period, each nation has experienced less quests coming in. It probably means that there are no major bad events occurring, or influencing, Gamindustri at this time, so expect it to be more peaceful for a while."

"Oh, that's great news! That means that I can…not neglect my work, and definitely do what little there is! Yeah!", said Neptune, trying to recover from what she was about to say.

This did not go unnoticed by Histoire. "I'll make sure you'll perform your duties, Neptune.", said Histoire, slightly ominously. "You can be sure of that."

"Uhhh… I have NO idea what you're trying to imply!"

* * *

**A few hours later:**

Nighttime had descended upon Gamindustri. The moon was up, the stars were out, and still, there were no clouds in sight. Neptune was up playing some video games, with Nepgear sitting on the couch behind her, watching her while fiddling with her N-Gear. Neptune had just finished off a boss fight with a dragon.

"Suck on that, ya big purple lizard!"

Nepgear looked up from her N-Gear to congratulate Neptune. "Well done, Neptune. It took you less tries this time than it did on your first playthrough. That dragon looks annoying to deal with."

"Oh yeah, but once you learn his patterns, you realize that you can make him do this one attack where he swings in front of him twice. You can just dodge under him, wait for him to finish, then go for his head. It works most of the time!"

"What about that one attack where he shoots fire out in front of him, then turns the fire into a big purple laser and shoots it in a wide area across the arena? Doesn't it usually defeat players in one hit?", asked Nepgear. She had tried the game out before, but since she didn't really play similar games to it that often, she wasn't that great at it. Many gaming journalists thought that it was too difficult, and used it to comment on other games that were challenging.

"Oh, yes, the big ol' laser of doom! Yeah, there were many complaints about that one, but you just gotta deal with it. You get an image of where the laser goes once you encounter it once or twice. Or more."

"If you say so."

"Yeah. Well, now that that's done, I'd say it's time for some good old sleep. We did a lot today, right?"

"I guess we did. Well, more than usual. There wasn't much paperwork to do, since Histoire had already finished most of it. Maybe you should try to help out with that more…"

"I know I should, Nepgear, but sitting inside all day just scribbling on some pieces of paper that take FOREVER to read just isn't for me. I get all antsy and stuff, and I can't sit still."

"I guess you're right about that…"

"I really am thankful for you guys though, always helping me out with that stuff. So thank you, Nep Jr."

"No problem, sis."

And with that, the two sisters got up and made their way to their shared bedroom. They had already got cleaned up and dressed, so there wasn't much else to do besides sleep. They spoke for a while, mostly about general things, when Nepgear asked Neptune a question.

"Hey, Neptune?"

"Yeah, kid sis o' mine? What's bugging you in that big brain of yours?"

"Well, I just have to put something out there…"

"And what would that be?"

"Well, I just have this feeling… you know how it's been peaceful for a few months now… it seems like we encounter some sort of problem every so often… I mean, the Ultradimension dilemma, the Zero Dimension problem, the CPU-shift period and the Kurome incident happened shortly after one another."

"Yeeeees, they did. What are you trying to say?"

"Well… I just have this feeling… that something else is going to appear… something bad…"

"Well, if it ever does, Nep Jr., we'll all make sure to beat up that big bad! I'm sure of it!"

"Still, I can't help but be worried… I can't help but feel that it'll be really bad this time…"

Neptune was a little worried for Nepgear. She had witnessed Nepgear worry about the future before. "Nepgear, don't worry. We'll overcome anything that gets in our way. We'll come out on top, always."

"I believe you, I really do, but I still just have this feeling at the back of my mind. So please… please just be careful when you're out there, doing some quests or exploring."

"I will. I'll make sure that we get the best ending. You can count on that."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

The two sisters then said goodnight to each other, and promptly fell to sleep.

Neptune had no idea why Nepgear was acting the way she was, but her encouraging words to her kid sister were not just that. She meant them, with all the fiber in her being.

* * *

**Virtua Forest:**

In a secluded place in the forest, a place where there was a small gap in the trees where the moon could shine through freely, sat a boy and a girl.

The girl was leaning on her arms set behind her, with her legs outstretched, while the boy was lying down on the ground beside her. They were both looking out at the starry sky, and at the moon.

"Do you think this sky is the same sky we were under back home?", questioned the girl.

"I'm unsure. I know that it's similar, and that it works in the same way.", answered the boy.

"Do you think it's pretty?"

"I do."

"What do you like about it?"

"I feel the same way about it as you do."

"And how would you know how I feel about it? I know we're close, but you can't read my mind."

"Pffft, I don't need to. You told me a while ago, and I just found it so appropriate."

"Can you tell me, then? Let's see if you're right…"

The boy sat up next to the girl, smiling slightly. "I love how the moon and the stars don't outdo each other. The moon is the main piece, of course, as it shines the brightest, illuminating the way for the people on the ground. It governs certain things that others have no control over, and it is a necessary part of our lives."

"Wow, you got it right, so far…"

"That's not all. It doesn't stand out purely because of itself. You and I both believe that the moon is most beautiful when surrounded by stars, even if it's just one. They help each other stand out, and although the stars don't shine as brightly as the moon, they still have their own small part to play in the bigger picture. They coincide with each other and help each other when joint together, like constellations."

"Again, you're spot on."

"The moon and the stars are important to each other, and they are both uplifted by each other. That is what we both believe."

"I mean, I'm not surprised that you know that, seeing as you are how you are, but why do you feel that way? The same way I do?"

"Because I find it so appropriate to our situation."

"How?"

"To me, you're the moon, and I'm a star. The singular star next to you, helping you through, and being helped by you."

"I've never thought of it like that… wow, you're quite thoughtful, despite how you act to others, hey?"

"It's just to them. I can be natural when I'm around you. Maybe later in life, I can be like that with others, too."

"I'd love to see that happen."

Before they both went back to the camp to get ready for bed, they sat there for a while longer, in silence, gazing out to the sky.

It truly was a beautiful sight.

* * *

**All done. I tried to properly convey how Neptune and Noire would act to each other casually, as friends, and I really hope I got it down. I also hope that the last segment of the story doesn't come off as… weird. Maybe it's just me, maybe it's not, but the comparison came to me and I really wanted to use it. I'm not weird, I promise!**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! I'm still setting up some stuff to happen and ironing out the ideas at the moment. **

**And yes, Blanc and the other CPUs are in this story too. They just haven't shown up yet.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	4. A Disturbance(of Plans)

**I'm back again! Hello all, welcome back. I don't want to say much about this chapter right here, you know, for spoilers and stuff, but it was exciting to write this. You'll see why.**

**Okay, I'm done. Go on ahead, nobody's stopping you! And I hope you enjoy the read!**

* * *

**Chapter 3:**

It was early morning in Gamindustri. The sun was low, but the creatures and beasts of the Planeptune forests were ready and raring to go. A girl and a boy strolled through one of these forests. They had camped there overnight, now walking through a beginner level dungeon.

The girl happily marched on, her primarily cyan hair moving in a light breeze. "Hey, what do you think it'll be like when we get back?"

The boy walked besides her with a not-so-exaggerated gait."I don't know. When we were sent here, that little fairy told us that time flows differently here. She said it would progress slower here than back home, so it's safe to say that it's been a very, very long time."

"Do you think anyone remembers what happened to us? What they did to us?"

"…No, I don't think they do."

"As if they were even told in the first place…"

"We'll make it right. We'll make them remember. Everyone will know, so that nobody ever does it again."

"And we'll make her pay."

"…Yes."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad I can count on you."

"Likewise."

The girl nodded to herself. "So we're looking for the way home now, right? How close is it?"

"Very. It's inside this forest, somewhere nearby, I know it."

"And what are we even looking out for? What does it look like?"

"Well, if it's the same as before, it's a floating, swirling mass of blue energy. That's the only way I can describe it."

"Gotcha. Not that hard to miss, I guess. Does it have a name, so that we don't have to call it by "A big blue mass of energy" each time?"

"Yes. I think she called it a… portal."

"…Portal, huh?"

"Yes. We should be getting closer. It's supposed to be on a path near a beginner level area. It's blocked off according to the person at the guild, so that shouldn't be hard to find either."

"…Looking something like that?"

The two stopped and looked towards a path blocked off by a barrier. It had a warning nearby, saying that only authorized personnel were allowed to enter, then listed a few punishments if anyone tried to enter without permission.

"Yes. We just need to get through and find the portal."

"And finally get back home."

"Yes."

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom:**

In Planeptune's Basilicom, Neptune slept soundly. It was around the same time she had been woken up the previous day, and sunlight began spreading around her room.

"Neptune.", came a quiet voice.

"…hmmm?"

"Neptune, wake up." The voice belonged to Nepgear. This set off alarm bell inside Neptune's head. Having being rudely awoken in a similar fashion yesterday, she was kicked into overdrive from the thought. She bolted right up, almost hitting Nepgear in the process.

"Yes, Nep Jr.! I'm awake! No worries over here, just don't threaten my life!"

"Why would I do that, sis? It's nothing like that, it's just that breakfast is ready, so you should come eat before it gets cold."

"Oh, uh… thanks. Sorry about that, I just thought that I might be reliving yesterday again like they do in movies."

"Um… okay, Neptune. Just don't be too long."

Nepgear promptly left the room, leaving Neptune to get dressed into more appropriate attire. When Neptune finished, she made her way towards the main section of her living quarters, where she came face to face with Histoire.

"Good morning, Neptune."

"Hiya, good mornin' Histy! Please don't bombard me with work straight off the bat!"

"I have not been bombarding you with work, you just do so little that you think any amount is a large amount."

"I… can't argue with that! But seriously, please don't. We've already been through this in Chapter 1."

"I have no work for you do to do at the moment, but there will be some later in the day, so don't run off."

"I'll, uh… definitely not do that!"

"Good."

After that, Neptune made her way to where Nepgear was, by the food. "What's cookin', good lookin'?"

"It's nothing special today, sis. I just some fried eggs and toast."

"That's fine. As long as it's edible and doesn't rhyme with deggblant."

Neptune held her plate up to Nepgear, who dished two slices of bread, each with a fried egg on top. Neptune then made her way to the table near a few couches, followed not long after by Nepgear.

They had just finished eating, when Histoire suddenly froze up, looking out of the window with a blank expression. This did not go unnoticed by the two.

"Histoire, what's wrong?", asked Nepgear.

"Got hit with a paralysis debuff? I've got some paralaxin if you need.", said Neptune.

"No, it's nothing like that. There was just a sudden strong change in energy, so I was able to feel it myself."

"Woah, like a bad change? Are our shares spiking or plummeting, Histy? Gimme the deets."

"Neither. It's just… a strange feeling. There is no definite answer, I just felt some sort of change. It doesn't have to do with Planeptune, or any one of the four nations, in fact."

Neptune scratched her head. "That's a little… weird."

"…and concerning. I hope it isn't anything bad.", muttered Nepgear.

Just then, Histoire received a call."Both of you, come here quick! I am receiving a call from the other dimension's Histoire!"

"I wonder if it has anything to do with what just happened…", said Nepgear.

The two sisters rushed to Histoire's side as she answered the call.

"Hello? This is Histoire speaking."

"Hello Histoire, Neptune, Nepgear. It has been some time.", came a quiet, slightly higher pitch version of Histoire's voice. It was the Histoire from the Ultradimension.

After they exchanged brief niceties, the bigger Histoire asked the burning question. "So, what is it that you called for?"

"Well, I have a feeling you may already know.", said the little fairy.

"Is it about the energy change that occurred, just moments ago?"

"Yes. I see my feeling was spot on."

"That is concerning. Have you any idea as to what it might be?"

"Yes. But before that, may I ask you to contact the other CPUs on your side, and gather them all by you to listen?"

"Is it that serious?"

"I fear it might be."

"I see. I will organize it now."

Histoire looked at Neptune, who looked at Nepgear. She immediately took out her N-Gear and started notifying the other candidates, as well as Vert.

"I myself need to contact the other CPUs, so for now, I will be on hold." And with that, the call was paused.

They waited a few minutes, when Nepgear perked up. "I've notified everyone I could. They should all be here soon, with the exception of Noire. Uni told me that she is currently out doing quests, so she will need to contact her."

"Of course she's already out doing that stuff…"

Histoire glared at Neptune. "Maybe you should learn from her."

"It's not my fault she works too much!"

* * *

**Under an hour later:**

Nepgear, Neptune and Histoire were still waiting for the others to arrive. Neptune had started playing some games, with Nepgear and Histoire watching her play, when there was a knock at the door.

Histoire floated up off the couch. "Somebody's here. I'll open up for them."

Neptune looked behind her, as did Nepgear. "Ooooh, what's behind door number one?"

When Histoire opened the door, she was greeted by Blanc and the twins, Rom and Ram.

"Hello, Histoire.", greeted Blanc.

"Hello Histoire!", came two voices from behind Blanc.

"Hello, you three. Welcome back. I'm sorry for calling on such short notice, but I had only recently received the news myself."

"I'm not bothered. I wasn't in the middle of anything, and my sisters were saying they wanted to go out, so it worked out well.", said Blanc, her face as unchanging as ever.

"That is good to hear. Neptune and Nepgear are sitting by the couches near the TV. Please, come inside."

Rom and Ram rushed inside, with Blanc taking up the rear.

"Hey Neptune! Hey Nepgear! Nice to see you!", said Ram, practically sprinting towards them.

"Hello Neptune, hello Nepgear…", greeted Rom, a little behind Ram. She was a little quieter than Ram, too.

Neptune raised a hand to each of them as they sprinted towards her. "Hiya, you two! Come 'ere!" The twins each responded with a high five, then hugged Neptune. After that, they made their way to Nepgear. They climbed up onto the couch, sitting next to her.

Ram hugged Nepgear. "Hi Nepgear! I missed you!"

Rom mimicked her twin, looking up at Nepgear. "I've missed you too, Nepgear."

"I've missed you two as well." They stayed like that for a few seconds.

Blanc and Neptune were looking at them.

"I'm glad they get along so well.", said Neptune.

"Me too. Rom and Ram were practically begging me to bring them here."

"I bet, seeing as how so incredibly charismatic we Nep sisters are!"

"Our definitions of "charismatic" must be different.", commented Blanc. She retained her calm, slightly quiet voice the entire time.

"Nevermind that, how are you? It's been a hot minute since I've visited that cold nation of yours!"

Blanc looked around the room. "It's been okay. It's been slow and steady on my side. Looks like it's not much different here."

"Really? And how's the writing going for ya? Won any "rookie novelist awards" yet?"

"Almost. I feel that I've definitely improved over the past few weeks, so I think that goal is not too out of reach now.", said Blanc, with a little more enthusiasm in her voice.

"That's great to hear! What else has been happening on your side of the grass?"

"Nothing much besides that. What about you?"

"Well…", began Neptune, puffing out her chest. "I'll have you know, I actually did work yesterday!"

"Wow. I'm astonished."

"I know, right? It's so unlike me, but you know, a Goddess has her duty…"

"I bet Histoire threatened you again."

"H-How'd you figure that out so quickly?"

"It's not that hard to know. It usually goes down that route."

"I see. Such a great deduction, detective Blanc."

"I'd like to think I'd make a good one, yeah."

The two groups carried on chatting like this for a few minutes, with Histoire watching them while waiting near the door. After a while, there was another knock.

"That's probably Vert.", said Nepgear.

The door opened, revealing none other than Vert herself. She greeted Histoire, and made her way to the candidates. "Hello, all of you! Rom, Ram, I haven't seen you two in ages.", said Vert, with her arms outstretched.

The two twins ran towards Vert and into her arms. Vert subsequently lifted the both of them up, giving each a heartwarming hug.

"We missed you as well, Vert, don't get jealous!", said Ram, now back on the floor alongside her sister.

"You should come over sometime to play, Vert… it could be fun…", said Rom, a little shyly.

"Oh, I'd love to. Just ask that big sister of yours first, okay?"

Vert then turned her attention to Nepgear. They greeted each other and hugged. There wasn't much to say, seeing as how they met yesterday, but they spoke for a while, none the less. After that, Vert made her way towards the older sisters. She greeted both of them, and hugged Neptune, and surprisingly Blanc. She usually didn't partake in such actions. "I see you're becoming a little friendlier with people, Blanc."

"I've been trying lately. It helps in its own way, sometimes."

"That's good to hear. You know, your little sisters seem eager to have me over…"

"I know. They seem to be warming up to you. I'll make a plan one of these days, maybe."

"Why, thank you, Blanc."

They continued talking like this for a few more minutes, when Noire arrived with Uni. They followed the same procedure as the two groups before them, greeting the candidates first and the older sisters second. Noire stayed by her fellow CPUs while Uni made her way back to the candidates.

Since there was nothing much to do besides wait for Histoire, they all gathered by the couches and sat, talking, eagerly anticipating the other Histoire to return. And the moment finally arrived.

"I apologize for keeping you all waiting. I was just organizing everyone on this side.", said the little fairy.

"Hello everyone over yonder! How's it been o'er there, where the grass is… different?!", started Neptune.

"Neptune, please be quiet. You can organize a meeting with everyone after we discuss the issue at hand.", said the bigger Histoire.

"Fiiiiiiiiiiiine mom, gosh."

"Thank you.", said the little Histoire. "I will explain, now… As most of you have been made aware of, both myself and the other Histoire have noticed a sudden change in energy. Specifically, share energy. But it does not originate from any of the existing nations, in the Hyperdimension or the Ultradimension."

"So what does that mean? There has to be more to it, seeing as how we're all present.", came the Hyperdimension Noire.

"I'll be getting to that shortly. Although the energy does not relate to any of our current nations, it does, however, relate to some sort of ancient share energy."

"Ancient share energy?", said the two Blancs, suddenly intrigued.

"Yes. We've only experienced this one time before, in our lifetime at least."

"We have?", asked the Vert of Hyperdimension.

"When would we have encountered this?", asked the Vert of Ultradimension.

"I don't know what's happening, so please just tell me later, Noire…", said Plutia.

Ultradimension Noire rolled her eyes. "What? You should really try to understand something like this yourself, you know?"

"Woah, what's with all the sudden chit-chat? Is this supposed to be the greatest crossover of all time? Forget super heroes, WE'RE the real big deal!", commented Neptune, suddenly realizing the amount of people in this meeting.

"Can we please continue with the important issue! We'll answer all your questions shortly!", said the bigger Histoire, getting a little annoyed now.

There was silence for a few seconds.

"Thank you, Histoire.", said the smaller Histoire. "We encountered it when we fought the CPU of Tari, or Rei Ryghts."

All of the CPUs were shocked. "What?"

"Yes. The CPU which had enough power to fight all of us, and almost win. This is why I was so worried…"

The larger Histoire put a hand to her chin, thinking about the possible implications. "That really is serious. She was the one who caused the damage across our city when Neptune returned from your dimension, correct?"

"Indeed. I feel like we should find Rei Ryghts and investigate further into this.", suggested the smaller Histoire.

"I agree. Where can we meet on your side. Surely a nearby guild should suffice?", asked Noire of Hyperdimension.

"Yes, there is a guild close to the portal. That place is a perfect meeting point.", answered her counterpart.

"Alright then, it's settled. We'll meet there soon. I'll be cutting the call now. See you all soon.", finished Histoire of Ultradimension.

The call was over. Everyone was quiet for some time. Neptune, feeling a bit awkward, broke the silence."…soooooo, that's kinda bad."

"Yes… yes, it is indeed. We should start moving, with great haste.", said Vert.

"I agree. This could escalate if we take our time.", said Blanc.

"To the other dimension, awaaaaaaaaay!"

* * *

**Virtua Forest, Ultradimension. Just after the energy disturbance:**

A girl and a boy walked slowly through the forest. They looked about, admiring nature.

The girl gazed out, enamoured by her surroundings. "Wooooow…"

"I know…"

"It's so briiiiight… and lively… there are animals and colourful plants everywhere!"

"I never imagined it would look so… nice. I was expecting something more… barren and dark."

The girl puffed her chest in a satisfied manner. "Well I, for one, am glad that it turned out this way! It means things have probably gotten better since we left!"

"Yes. But it doesn't mean that we're done. You can still feel her, right?"

"Yeah… I guess that is a downside. There always seems to be one…"

The boy's lips curled slightly. "Hey, don't talk like that. I said we'll make it better. You'll make it better. For everyone. We promised we would. For all those who suffered with us."

The girl huffed, smiling back at the boy. "You know, I really appreciate your help. It really keeps me going."

"And you keep me going."

"Thank you! I love it when you're honest like this."

"Well, I usually am when I'm around you."

The girl stopped walking, and looked around. The boy stopped soon after and looked at the girl.

The boy took a small smile. "Do you want to stop and look around for a while?"

"You get me so well, you. I feel like I could just hug you so hard sometimes!"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but let's just relax. Enjoy the scenery."

"True, true. Let's find a nice place to sit down."

They found a shaded place next to a large rock and sat down. The boy sat down and leaned against the rock, while the girl lied down next to him. Her arms were behind her head and her legs were out, left leg over her right leg.

The girl stared out at the sky above her. "It's nice to just sit down and watch the world go about its ways…"

"We haven't had much time to do this during the day, lately. The fact that the first time we do in this dimension is during the day is… special."

They sat together, looking up at the sky. There were a few clouds, and some birds were flying overhead.

"You'll always be with me, right?", asked the girl.

"Of course. That's what I'm here for. That's what family does."

"That's good news. You should know that I'll always be here for you, too. Always your shoulder to lean on."

"And you should know that I'll never betray you. I'll always do what's best for you."

"Ya see, this is why I love ya! You're always trying to one up me with the motivational talk, even if you seem a bit standoffish at times!"

"…I love you too, sister."

They listened to the birds chirping, the wind blowing, and the creaking of the trees, as they did so long ago.

* * *

**Virtua Forest, Ultra Dimension. Present time:**

"This is the place where I fell on you!", said Neptune, just as she travelled through the portal.

Noire glared at Neptune. "That wasn't me, Neptune…"

"This place does exhibit a striking resemblance to the Virtua Forest of our Gamindustri… I can never really get over it…", mused Vert.

"Almost like a carbon copy…", commented Blanc.

The candidates followed soon after, gazing around as well.

Vert put her hands together. "So, Histoire, where to? What's the direction?"

Histoire had accompanied the CPUs, which surprised most of them. She would usually not leave the Basilicom living space unattended.

"I was told that we should follow this path and head straight for Planeptune. It's supposed to be along the way."

Neptune scratched her head while looking around. "Wait, so catch me up, Histy. What're you here with us for? I… wasn't really listening when she said the stuff and the things about why."

"Neptune, you should really listen to important information like that…", said Histoire, a bit peeved.

"Histoire, please don't lecture her now… I'm sure it will be a great recap for some of us…", said Nepgear.

"Nepgear, don't try to defend your sister. You know that she's in the wrong here.", said Uni. She didn't usually speak out like this, but she had to admit, Neptune did this quite a few time today.

"That's right! Stop being dumb, Neptune!", exclaimed Ram, taking a stance and pointing straight at Neptune.

Neptune pulled her left shoulder back, acting as if a bullet had just pierced her heart.

"Ram, you shouldn't say such mean things about people… it's not nice…", said Rom, Neptune's savior.

Neptune felt like her heart had just been patched up.

"It's true though.", commented Blanc, as witty as ever.

Noire hads tarted tapping her foor on the ground. "Can we just get the explanation over with, already? I'd like to finish with this business as soon as possible."

"Yeah, let the readers know too! They've been waiting for a couple of lines now!", commented Neptune.

"…Anyway, I have adjusted my sensors to detect when the share energy we're looking for is nearby. For Rei, or for the other source."

"Oh… that's quite useful… I never knew you could do that…", commented Neptune.

"It is well within my processing capabilities. Now, let's go already!"

They started walking down the path. Moving further down, the differences between dimensions became more apparent, if only slightly in some instances. Not long after, Histoire froze up again, akin to before.

Nepgear slowed down to a halt and looked at her. "Histoire, is everything okay? You've frozen up again…"

"…Nearby. The source is nearby.", proclaimed Histoire, returning to her normal state.

"Then there is no time to waste. Quickly now!", signaled Vert.

Uni summoned her rifle into her hands. "We should ready our weapons, just in case."

"I got no problems with that.", added Blanc, hammer already in hand.

They ran through the forest path, weapons brandished, shimmering in the sunlight. There was no sign of a battle or any type of destruction on their way down the path.

"…maybe the source isn't bad?", muttered Rom.

"It won't matter, because we'll come out on top!", proclaimed Neptune.

"Yeah! Listen to Neptune, Rom! We'll be on top!", said Ram, to her sister.

"…Closer. We're very close, everyone.", said Histoire.

"Everyone, be on guard!", said Noire, signaling everyone to slow down.

Uni pointed towards the trees on each side of the path and suggested that everyone split up into two groups and travel on the side of the path, as to not alert the source of energy.

"Is it even a person, or a living thing?", asked Vert, curious as to what it may be.

"I don't see an inanimate object moving through dimensions by itself, so it's probably alive.", answered Nepgear. "At least, it's usually alive…"

"Quiet. I can see something up ahead.", said Blanc.

As the CPUs got closer, they slowed down to a stop near a slightly large circular area, with a large rock in the middle which provided some shade. They then looked to what was in the shade of the rock. There were two people. A boy, and a girl, resting by the rock. The boy looked like he had dozed off and was leaning against the rock, while the girl's head faced upwards towards the sky.

Noire widened her eyes. "Wait, there's no way…"

"…I may recognize those two.", muttered Vert.

"Yeah, now that you mention it, they do look familiar! Great catch, you guys!", added Neptune.

"Am I really the only one out of us four that hasn't seen these two?", said Blanc, slightly annoyed by this.

"It seems so. But that is not important right now. Histoire, where is the energy coming from?", asked Vert.

"From around that rock over there. It's near the rock."

Blanc narrowed her eyes. "It's them." The group looked over at the pair. They looked so peaceful, so at rest.

"We should probably ask them some questions. I think that myself and Vert should lead, seeing as we seem to know them, somewhat.", suggested Noire.

"And what about me, huh? I was there too!", said Neptune.

"You had one line, Neptune."

"Come on, Noire. We should try to find out who they really are.", said Vert.

Noire nodded at her. They then slowly emerged from behind the trees and walked towards the rock. They were close to the two people in front of them. The boy was definitely sleeping. Noire made to introduce themselves. "Hello…"

The girl was still looking up into the sky. "Shhhhh, please talk softer. This one here is sleeping."

"Oh, right, sorry…", said Noire, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"We're here to ask you a few questions. Ren, was it?", asked Vert.

The girl's eyes widened before she suddenly sat up, looking at the two.

"Vert?! Raven?!"

Vert looked at Noire questioningly. "Raven?"

"I'll… explain later. Anyway, why are you two here?"

"I could ask you two the same thing.", said the girl, slightly raising her voice.

"We're here to investigate some sort of… disturbance.", answered Vert.

"W-What do you mean, "disturbance"?", asked the girl, looking a little wary. She had gotten up to her feet.

"Some sort of energy phenomenon.", answered Noire.

"Well, what kind of energy?" The girl was ever so slightly moving closer to the boy.

"The kind which powers a Goddess.", answered Vert. "Are you aware of how it works? It is called "share energy", for starters."

"Share energy… oh no." The girls face went blank for a moment. She moved straight to the boy's side, putting her hand on him and shaking his shoulder slightly.

"…hmm? What's wrong…?"

"Look."

The boy looked towards Noire and Vert, becoming acutely aware of the situation they were in. "W-What? Why… You two?"

The other CPUs, along with Histoire, left their hiding spaces, making themselves visible to the boy and girl. The pair responded by backing away, taking defensive stances, with the boy in front of the girl. Neither of them had weapons in hand.

"Who are you all?", asked the girl, with noticeable worry in her voice.

"Please, calm down, Ren!", said Noire, noting what Vert called her.

"…No. They have to be…", the boy started.

"…CPUs. How else would they have gotten here? They should be the only ones allowed to access the portal!", said the girl. "Why them?"

"We have to move. We're leaving, now.", said the boy, turning his face towards the girl.

"Wait, you two! We're not here to hurt you!", said Vert, trying to get them to calm down.

The boy and girl faced the group of CPUs.

"That's not the first time we've heard that.", said the girl, with a sad tone of voice.

"Close your eyes.", whispered the boy to the girl, and she complied. "Flare!"

As the boy finished speaking, a blinding flash of light appeared, cutting the group of CPU's sense of sight off, if only for a few seconds. When they recovered, they could still make out in which direction the pair moved, as they still heard them run. The group bolted after them.

The pair was fast. But the group was catching up. They were along a fairly long, straight path, closer to the edges of the forest. Since Noire and Vert were the first to give chase, being the closest to the pair, as well as them being quite quick, they were catching up to the pair at a much faster rate than the rest of the group.

The two kept on sprinting ahead, with the boy looking back once to spot the two closest pursuers. He faced forward again, telling the girl that they were getting closer. Noire and Vert were hot on their heels. They could almost touch the two. They reached out to them, hoping to each put a hand on one of their shoulders. Vert was closer to the girl, while Noire was closer to the boy.

Vert and Noire made contact at the same time.

The girl, on being touched, faced Vert with a face full of sadness and anguish.

The boy, on being touched, faced Noire with a face full of anger and malice.

Within the span of a second, the boy pivoted around on his right foot and raised his right hand, sending it towards Noire's head with great speed.

Vert and the girl had also stopped suddenly, looking to their left, at the situation unfolding.

Noire was caught off guard, and could not raise her weapon in time. She moved her head to the left, barely dodging the fist. She could still feel the force behind it, with a small, brief gush of wind blowing across the left side of her face.

After this, Noire quickly stepped backwards to prevent any possible follow up.

The boy stared at Noire with a dreadfully calm, silent anger.

"Don't touch my sister."

"Gil, watch out!"

The boy heard his sister and looked to his right. He saw that Vert was dashing towards him, holding a readied spear for a swiping attack, and was already much too close for him to dodge it. But the girl had dashed with Vert, and managed to tackle the boy out of the way, although he had still gotten slashed across his arm. She held his hand as they fell, and it looked like... water started coiling itself around his injured arm, emanating from the girl's hand.

The rest of the CPUs caught up, and both groups stared at each other without moving for some time. The boy's arm was bleeding, but not as much as you'd expect from a cut that deep. Was that the affect of the water, or something else?

Uni, taking the initiative, fired a paralyzing bullet towards the girl. The boy stepped in front, taking the full blast of it. He grimaced, and the girl let out a small yelp. The girl caught the boy in her hands, touching his injured arm.

The boy was not fully paralyzed, which surprised Uni.

The girl was in a panic, looking at the boy worryingly. "Gil! Gil, are you okay?! Please, tell me you're alright! Come on, speak to me!"

"I'm fine Renna, but we've got to go! Come on, we can't do this here! Can you get us out of here?!"

Blanc quickly looked to her sisters. "Rom, Ram, see if you can lock them down with magic!"

"Got it!"

"O-Okay..."

Both Rom and Ram started conjuring ice magic, getting ready to send it across the ground and lock the two in place. Uni stood back with them, loading another paralyzing bullet into her rifle. The rest of the CPUs were rushing towards the pair.

The girl looked between the CPUs and the boy. He could not move quickly due to the paralysis."I can, just hold on!" She knew that the CPUs were fast approaching.

She looked up and shouted. "Shroud!" Darkness started to envelope the two, rending the parts of the body that it covered invisible.

The CPUs would not make it in time, but there was still the ice magic. Just before the darkness fully enclosed the boy and girl, the girl emitted a blinding flash of light around her body. The two were then fully invisible.

The crawling ice, making its way towards where the pair was, shattered, and a powerful gust of wind blew across the area, causing the CPUs to slightly shift their footing in order to stabilize themselves.

And they were gone. The dust settled, and a small crater could be seen where the pair was last seen.

"The source of energy is getting further away. It was definitely coming from them.", confirmed Histoire.

Vert placed a hand to her face. "I knew that they were suspicious, but I hadn't ever thought it would come to this."

"What were their names? I couldn't hear them from where I was…", asked Nepgear.

Blanc heaved her hammer over her right shoulder. "The girl's name was Renna and the boy's name was Gil."

"You really are like a detective, aren't cha Blanny?", said Neptune.

"Now is not the time for jokes. Me must meet up with the others and tell them of what has just happened here.", said Histoire. Everyone was in agreement.

They then started running again, rushing towards the Guild that they were supposed to meet at, with Histoire guiding them.

* * *

**A few minutes later:**

The siblings were sitting side by side somewhere in the forest. Renna gripped onto Gil's injured arm. "…Why? Why did it have to come to this?!"

"I don't know. We didn't know they could be Goddesses. It's not our fault."

"They seem to know how to find us. We need to find a place to rest and fully patch up your arm. How is it feeling?"

"The bleeding has mostly stopped thanks to your magic. I should be thankful that you were there to pull me back."

"I'm grateful I was. I don't think I could handle anything worse happening to you." She sunk into Gil's side, resting her head on his shoulder while trying to calm herself down.

"We should get going, Renna. Find a safe place, like you said. Find a…"

"Shhh, don't speak. Rest now."

The boy slowly looked up into the trees.

Things hadn't gone according to plan.

* * *

**Done. So yeah. Brother and sister, huh? Were you guys expecting that? That's the relationship I was talking about, as I've never really seen it in print for this series before. I hope I give it justice!**

**I tried for a little more faster paced style this time, especially in the second half. I hope it doesn't come off as rushed though. I would really hate that.**

**There'll be more information in the future, I promise, but I can't just give everything away in three chapters, now can I? Pacing, and all that stuff.**

**I really want to keep all the characters personalities accurate to the games. I also want to retain, and project, a clear and concise image of what the brother and sister's personalities are, but not some cardboard cutouts either. I just don't want them all over the place.**

**But yes, that's about all I have to say, for now. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you'll continue reading in the future.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	5. Co-Ordinated Effort

**Hello all of you! Some of you might now, but this chapter underwent some changes. So this is sort of a second, and hopefully better, version of it!**

**A few errors were brought to my attention, and as such I tried to rework this chapter to give a better telling of what happened.**

**But anyway...**

**Whether this is your first time reading this or not, I sincerely hope you enjoy it! It was fun to rewrite it, and it turned out to be much longer, as well.**

**So... Yeah!**

**Have fun!**

* * *

**Chapter 4:**

The siblings were still in Virtua Forest. Not much time had passed since their encounter with the CPUs. They were still resting, sitting on the soft grass in a part of the forest. But they had to do something about their current, and sudden, situation.

Renna had been lying on her back, but raised herself up to look at her brother sitting besides her. "What're we going to do now, Gil? They know who we are. They'll try to stop us."

"I... don't know. We need to... do something about them."

"They know how to find us, Gil. They came here searching for us, so they've gotta know how to find us. They... They'll try to stop us. Once they find out about what we're here for, they'll try to stop us." She looked towards the ground with a downcast expression.

Renna's voice had become sad, and strained. It was clear that she was still panicking. Gil reached towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Renna, look at me. Look at me. We'll be fine. They might know our names, but they have no idea who we are."

Renna looked up at Gil, looking like she was about to cry. She fell forward into Gil, hugging him. Truthfully, the hug wasn't only helping Renna. It was for Gil, too. He was panicking on an immeasurable level on the inside. But he had to keep up a brave face, for his sister.

Renna eventually pulled away, wiping her face and looking like her usual self. "I'm fine now. Thanks. Let's go over our little predicament, huh?"

"Okay. You say that they know how to find us, and that they were searching for us? What did they say? I was asleep at the time."

"They said they were investigating an energy phenomenon. Share energy."

Gil's face went blank. "So… we have no place to hide."

"That's what I thought. We're not safe, anywhere, anymore. They can always find us, Gil. What're we going to do?"

"We… We'll just have to be more direct. How were they able to track us?"

"They didn't say."

"We need to find out. But we can't get close without us being detected…"

Renna smiled confidently. "We'll just have to do what you said. Be more direct. We have to find out for ourselves, and get rid of whatever they're using to track us."

"Yes, that makes sense. When do you think we should do that?"

"Well, for the time being, I'd like you to rest. How's that wound of yours?"

Gil looked at his right arm, noting how it had been significantly healed thanks to Renna."It's fine now. Actually a bit convenient, now that I think about it. Didn't give away our little trick."

Renna looked away, pouting slightly. "I guess… it sucks that you were hurt though."

"I know, and I'm sorry. I may have gotten carried away with how I reacted. But when I saw their hands reaching out to us, and saw your face, I… had to do something."

"No, no, no, it's fine! In the end, we're alive! And that's all that matters right now."

"There's that usual attitude I'm used to."

"Shut up, I can be worried too, ya know?"

They looked out at all the trees in the forest. They were in such an untraveled part of the forest that there were no visible paths for them to take. There was hardly any sunlight, too, with there being so many trees to block it out. Luckily, they had found a place where a few beams of light penetrated through to them.

"Renna."

"Yes?"

"We have to be composed next time. We mustn't let ourselves get into a panic. We must remain as we usually are. Show no weakness."

"I know. No need to sound so dramatic about it…"

There was a small moment of silence.

"Where do you think they're going?", asked Renna.

"Probably to their closest hub. That's most likely the biggest building in the nearest city."

"Well, we are in Planeptune, so it shouldn't be that hard to find."

"When do you want to leave?"

"Later. Can we just… sit down for a while? Just… sort ourselves out?"

"Yes. Yes we can."

They sat down in their secluded area, listening out for any sounds. They couldn't feel the wind, and they couldn't hear the trees. There were no animals nearby, and no monsters to disturb them. It was peaceful.

* * *

**A few minutes later. At the Guild, near Virtua Forest:**

Neptune and the gang made their way towards the Guild where they were supposed to meet the other CPUs. When they arrived, they spotted the four CPUs sitting down at a table and made their way to them. They then all started greeting each other.

Plutia hugged both Neptune and Nepgear, spouting out a lot of really, really drawn out words.

Blanc and Blanc each greeted each other briefly and normally, which didn't upset either of them, as they weren't really very sociable people. The twins, however, made their way to the side of Ultradimension Blanc, hugging her sides while saying how long it's been.

After that, the Blanc of Hyperdimension attempted to strike up a conversation with her counterpart, mostly about literature and how things were going in each of their nations. She did say that she would try to be more sociable, and she intended to follow through.

Both Verts greeted each other and immediately started talking about different games, some different types of tea, as well as how they should visit each other more often, seeing as they were the only ones out of the CPUs without "shared" sisters.

The Noires were a different story. It's not that they disliked each other, it's just that they both felt… weird, upon seeing another them. They exchanged the usual greetings, such as how their nations were, how busy they've been and other such things.

Uni noticed this, and would attempt to get them more acquainted with each other. She tried thinking of anything that they could have in common, which was a lot.

What would she talk about? Cosplay? No, they'd both be too embarrassed, something that she was trying to fix. Cats? Maybe. They seem to both like cats. But where would it go from there? Maybe… their fighting styles, and how they differ? No, that'd be way too forward, and probably get them to try outdo each other. Ugh…

Maybe she'd just try to get them together, and play games with one another. That's always good bonding, and she wouldn't accept any excuses! Maybe from there, they could talk about general fashion, something that interested them both, and was close enough to cosplay to maybe get them to open up to each other about it? She'd really like to see both of her sisters dressed up together.

But none of the CPUs could talk for long.

"Now that we've all said our hello's, we should inform the Ultradimension CPUs of what has just happened.", said Histoire. Everybody stopped talking, and Histoire signaled for the Hyperdimension CPUs to explain.

Which they did. They mentioned about how they found the source of energy, a boy and a girl. Gil and Renna. They spoke about how they both tried to escape after finding out that the CPUs were... CPUs, and how the boy emitted a blinding flash of light. They continued on talking, and got to the part where they caught up to them, and how the boy reacted. And how they were apparently siblings. They then explained how the girl made them turn invisible, and how they escaped.

The Ultradimension CPUs were listening intently, with the exception of Plutia. By the end of it, they were all caught up, and understood the gravity of the situation. They all decided to make their way to the Planeptune Basilicom, where they would inform the smaller Histy.

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom, under an hour later:**

When the combined group of the Ultradimension and Hyperdimension CPUs arrived at the Basilicom along with the bigger Histoire, they met the smaller fairy on the bottom floor. It was empty of all its employees, as the smaller Histoire had dismissed everyone early. They briefly greeted each other and started with the explanation. After which, the tiny fairy wore a grave face.

"I only have one explanation for this, and most of you can already guess as to what it is.", said the bigger Histoire.

"I'm not one of those people!", said Plutia, still holding onto her ditzy, carefree demeanour.

"Yes, you are not one of them.", commented the smaller Histoire, lightening the mood a bit. This did not last long.

"They are most probably CPUs." The words sunk in for everyone, and although some of them had already put the pieces together, it was a shock no less. "They could possibly be CPUs of the ancient land of Tari. We need to find Rei and consult with her immediately. Do any of you know where she might be?"

"Oh, oh! I do, I do!", said Plutia. This surprised everyone. They all looked at her with questioning stares.

"It's true, I really do! Since I helped her keep her power in check, she has been really grateful towards me! She sometimes visits me just to talk. She's so funny… she's always apologizing and stuff…"

"Well I guess that's… believable…", commented the Ultradimension Noire.

"It's settled, then. For now, we can rest, and get ready to find her. We can go after her later.", said the Histoire of Ultradimension.

"Yaaaay! Party time, people! Party people!", said Neptune, raising her arms into the air and performing a small jump.

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! Paaaaaarty tiiiiiiiiiime!" added Plutia, with needlessly long words. This helped to alleviate some of the stress everyone was feeling.

They then all proceeded to the elevator, and got inside, which was much harder than it sounded, seeing as there were twelve normal sized people and two fairies trying to find their space in a metal box. In the end, it was super squished in there.

"Ya know, this could be made into some kinky, R-Rated scenario, you guys.", said Neptune.

"Shut up, Neptune!", shouted both Noires.

"Hey, Blanc, what's "R-Rated"?", asked Ram.

"It's nothing you need to worry about right now Ram.", said Hyperdimension Blanc.

Ultradimension Blanc glared at Neptune. "See, look what you've gone and done now."

"Uhhh, sorry about that…"

In the left-back corner were both Blancs, forming a protective shield around Rom and Ram as best they could with mild success. At least the twins weren't being squished to death.

In the right-back corner resided both Verts, each trying to face away from everyone as to not complicate things, for obvious reasons. Other than that, they did not seem too perturbed by the current situation they found themselves in.

In the right-front corner stood Neptune and Plutia, who had no problem being close to each other. They were practically being lifted up from all the people shifting around, owing to both of their smaller statures.

In the left-front corner stood both Noires, facing each other, and being much too close against their will. Hyperdimension Noire was leaning against the corner, trying to sink into it as much as she could, to no avail. To stop them from getting even closer than what the two already were, Ultradimension Noire held both of her arms out in front of her, putting them against the walls of the elevator, yet still quite close to her counterpart. Needless to say, they were both embarrassed.

In the middle struggled Nepgear and Uni, with backs against each other, being pushed together with quite a lot of force. Even when they both stood on the tips of their toes, they would still be compressed together.

Luckily, the elevator was high enough for the Histoires to float above everyone. A blessing in and of itself, as being down there would likely spell their doom.

This endeavor carried on for an excruciatingly long minute. When they finally reached the top, they burst out of the elevator, with many being bumped along the way. Neptune had actually tripped up due to all the commotion, causing her to fall, twist in the process, and land on her back.

"Ow, ow, owwwww, that was almost my pretty little head you guys! I could've suffered some brain damage!" She closed her eyes while feeling the back of her head, making sure it was all fine.

After opening her eyes, she spotted a small, yellow, bee like creature. Well, big for a bee, but small for a creature. Said creature was Peashy, standing in front of her a few meters away.

"P-Ko?", asked Neptune, still upside down. She then corrected herself, bringing herself to her feet and faced the right way.

"Neptuna!", screamed Peashy, rushing towards Neptune.

Here it comes, the pain train, the slammin' wagon, the…

…thing that, surprisingly, never arrived.

"Hello Neptuna!" Peashy, instead of tackling Neptune, decided to run at her and hug her instead. Neptune was grateful for this, thinking about how abused she was. Truly, a terrible, terrible life she lived… She did appreciate the lovey-dovey wholesome moment, though. They stood like that for a few seconds, then separated. Everyone else besides Nepgear and Plutia made their way to the couches near the TV.

"How've you been, little B?"

"I've been good, Nep! I need to show you something!", said Peashy, pulling Neptune by her hand.

Neptune nodded. "Okay P-Ko, I'll follow you." She looked at Nepgear and Plutia, signaling them to go off to the others.

Neptune was brought to the kitchen, in front of a fridge.

Peashy pointed towards the fridge. "Lookit, lookit!"

On the fridge, was a hand-drawn picture that was made by Peashy. It even had a little signature on the bottom-left corner. Neptune could make out herself, Plutia, Peashy, IF and Compa.

Neptune's face lit up with a smile. "Thank you, P-Ko. This is beautiful." She gave a quick hug to Peashy.

" I'm not done, Neptuna. Open up the fridge! Open it!"

She complied. Inside was a pudding, marked and labeled with "Neps" on the top. Again, Neptune smiled. "Come on, P-Ko. Let's go join everyone else."

"Okay Neptuna…"

They made their way towards the couches. Peashy sat down by Rom and Ram on the couch. All three of them started to draw together on a colouring in book provided by the smaller Histoire. Both Blanc's were sitting against a wall, each reading copies of the same book. They both read incredibly fast, and never out-read each other. Whenever they reached the end of a chapter, they would put the books down and discuss the chapter with each other.

Neptune, Nepgear and Plutia were watching both Verts play a co-op game together. They were extremely well co-ordinated with each other, and seemed to know what the other was thinking at all times. Their fingers were moving so fast that they could hardly be seen.

Uni, on the other hand, had gathered both Noires to the nearby table. She was determined to make them friendlier towards each other. Uni sat at the head of the table, with each Noire being on their respective chairs on either side of Uni, facing their counterpart. Uni told them that she wanted them to talk, and that they should be closer.

After all, they WERE each other.

After many excuses as to why not, they both decided to try it out. This was helped out by Uni asking them to do it "as her older sisters." They could not just disregard Uni, so they complied, in the end. Uni then made her way next to Nepgear.

"So…"

This did not make it any less awkward.

"Uni mentioned that you were interested in fashion?", said Ultradimension Noire.

"I… guess you could say that." Off to a rough start, but a start none the less.

"I think it's like that for me, too…" It was quiet for a while.

"So… what's your favourite brand?", asked Hyperdimension Noire.

Slowly but surely, they started talking more, with less breaks in between. In about fifteen minutes, they were talking about their other interests, since both of them figured that they had similar tastes. In about an hour, they were both talking about cosplay.

It was fairly the same throughout the few hours everyone was spending at the Basilicom. People shifted between getting food, talking casually and playing games. The Blanc's had a try, Neptune, Nepgear and Plutia had a go, Rom, Ram and Peashy played a few child friendly games, and it was all in good fun. On a particular occasion, when most of the group was away from the couches, the two Noires played a few games with each other.

A few hours had passed when the Histoires gathered everyone together. It was after midday, and there were quite a few clouds overhead.

"Everyone, it is time to depart. We have all rested up and replenished our energy.", said the smaller Histoire.

"Yes, and it has been quite a few hours since we arrived here. I hope we are all ready?", asked the bigger Histoire.

Everyone was prepared. They had had enough time to mull it over. Although they all spent a good few hours together, to suddenly find out that they were potentially, according to Histoire, up against a pair of CPUs from the same nation as Rei Ryghts, a CPU who exhibited tremendous power, was unnerving to them all, even if they didn't openly show it.

They all still remembered the destruction she had caused, even if she did repent afterwards and managed to control herself from then on out. They hoped that, this time, wouldn't be a similar case. A unanimous agreement was heard across the group.

"That's good to hear. From here on out, I shall be configuring myself to sense the ancient energy."

And with that, all of the CPUs, with the exception of Peashy, made their way out of the living space. They all paused as they reached the elevator.

They decided to use the stairs this time.

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom, Entrance:**

It took them all a good twenty minutes to reach the bottom. After all, Planeptower was a humongous piece of infrastructure, and with a group as large as theirs, they had to move at an acceptable pace.

"Haaah… it feels like I've been walking for half of my lifetime…", said Neptune, tired from the countless amounts of flights of stairs. "And I'm not even sure how long I've been alive, seeing as it's never been mentioned! Ah well, legal foreveeeeeer!"

Blanc gave Neptune a questioning look. "That's the first thing you say when you get down here?"

"Give me a break…", said Noire, putting her head in her palm.

"Is it always like this?", asked Ultradimension Blanc.

"Yes, it usually is. Neptune is indeed… special.", answered Vert, watching her now.

Ultradimension Noire rolled her eyes. "I'm honestly not surprised."

In the meantime, the two Histoires were discussing how they should go about with finding Rei.

"First off, we need to know where she is specifically. We should ask Plutia to contact her.", suggested the smaller Histoire.

"Good idea. I'll go ask her, now.", said the bigger Histoire. She then started moving towards Plutia.

Neptune saw her moving closer, and tapped Plutia on her shoulder to bring her to attention.

The group was pumped up now. They knew what they were up against, and they'd dealt with it before. They'd dealt with many dire situations before. They would do it again.

Plutia started walking towards Histoire while Histoire was floating towards her. "…Neppy, why is your Histy frozen?"

Everyone faced towards Plutia.

"Uhhhh… you didn't, perhaps, scare her, my dear Plutie?", asked Neptune, well aware of how Plutia could act. She had experienced it herself before. The chill down your spine you felt when Plutie looked at you the wrong way was something else. It was something deeply ingrained into most of the group.

"No, Neppy, I didn't! I'm not THAT scary, am I?"

Neptune now looked at Histoire. Her face was blank.

"…close." It could not be Rei, she couldn't be nearby. Histoire would've sensed her before. It had to be… "They're here, everyone! Be on guard!"

Not long after, a large door could be heard opening. The CPUs all turned their heads towards the main entrance, where the noise originated from.

The door was only partially opened. One could see a head with cyan hair pop through the gap, as if to make a quick scan of the interior. As the eyes belonging to the head landed upon the CPUs, they stared for a few seconds before promptly darting back.

The door was then fully pushed open, and a girl entered, followed by a boy. The girl looked around, brandishing a small smile. The boy looked through the opposite group, his eyes visiting each individual. The two book fairies caught his attention.

The girl wore a turquoise shirt decorated with a black crescent moon, along with what looked like black stars around it, with the sleeves of the shirt reaching before her elbow. Around her neck was a silver necklace, housing a bright gem that seemed to constantly change colour. She had on a black skirt with turquoise squiggly lines on it, reaching a few centimeters above her knees. Under that, she wore teal pants, just reaching past her knees. She also had on blue and white sneakers with white socks reaching to the lower half of her calf.

The boy wore a white long sleeved shirt with the sleeves reaching to the end of his forearm, by the start of his wrists. As the shirt moved down towards his hips, it faded into a grey colour. Along the sleeves, as they passed his elbow, they would fade into maroon. He wore long grey jeans, covering his ankles. Situated on the top-left hand side of his jeans was a short chain, with a turquoise crescent moon at the end of it. He wore red and black sneakers, with his socks not being able to be seen.

The girl had a black glove covering her left hand, and the boy had a black glove covering his right hand.

There was a small silence before anyone spoke.

"So, we meet again, guys! Well, at least, most of you. I feel like I'm seeing double. What's up with that?", greeted the girl, with a quizzical yet happy face. Neither of them had weapons in hand.

"H-How did you two know where we were?", asked the Ultradimension Noire.

"We know you people have some sort of hub, but we didn't know where, or what, it was specifically. We decided to investigate the largest building first. And here we are.", answered the boy, retaining his usual, stoic expression. He always looked slightly angry.

"What are you planning to do, now that you are here?", asked Ultradimension Vert.

"Hey, you had your question, so it's our turn, now!", said the girl. The group of CPUs reluctantly complied after a moment of consideration. "But first, introductions! You all should know our names by now, seeing as we gave them away last time, so I'll just go ahead." She looked to her brother for confirmation, at which he nodded. "My name is Renna! This here is my brother, Gil! Yes, that's his full name."

The group looked at her warily despite the seemingly warm introductions. They still had no idea what these two could do.

"Now, may I have your names, please?", asked Renna.

The group looked amongst themselves. Should they give out their names? It would be a show of good faith, and the two would probably just find out for themselves later. They agreed to share, with Neptune being the speaker.

"It's because I'm so charismatic!" Many in the group looked at her with somewhat disappointed stares.

"Hello, you two! My name is Neptune! The reason you're seeing clones is because those are the counterparts of the CPUs from my dimension! So, here goes… Those black haired, stiff looking two over there are named Noire! Those short, hat wearing girls there are called Blanc! Them bodacious, womanly blondes right there each go by Vert! That girl right there with the pajama looking clothes and purple-y hair responds to the name "Plutia"!"

Neptune took a deep breath before continuing. There were a lot of names and descriptions to call out...

"The specimen with the same hair colour as me and with the same hair accessory, is my sister, Nepgear! The girl next to her with the black clothes and hair resembling the Noires is named Uni, one of the Noire's sister! The short stacks right there go by Ram and Rom! The pink signifies that it's Ram, and the blue one being Rom! They are both one of the Blanc's sisters!"

She took another deep breath.

"And those two fairies over there each have the label "Histoire" printed on those books of theirs!"

Renna looked at Neptune with a slightly wider smile on her face than before. Gil's face didn't exhibit any changes.

Ultradimension Blanc spoke up. "What is your objective?"

"Well, right now, we were just planning on finding you all! And it seems like we have!"

"How did your group find us? What led you to us?", asked Gil.

The larger Histoire was suddenly off-put by this question. She realized that she could be in great danger, soon. She slowly moved closer towards the CPUs, floating behind them.

"It's her.", summed up Gil, whispering to his sister.

"You guys won't answer us anyway, so go ahead with your next question!", said Renna, maintaining her composure.

The CPUs were on guard now, backing away slowly. "You guys are planning something now! What is your true objective?", asked Hyperdimension Blanc, raising her voice.

"We need to start. Get them to come to us.", said Gil.

"Okay.", responded Renna. "I'm pretty sure you guys already know what we're here for, seeing as how defensive you're all getting." Renna still had a smile on her face.

"Just give a proper answer already, dammit!", shouted Blanc. She was angry now, but still had herself under control.

"I say some of us rush them. It'll mean that some stay here to defend Histoire while a few of us find out what they're capable of.", suggested Ultradimension Blanc, also agitated. A few of them volunteered and started proceeding towards the pair.

"Good.", said Gil.

"We should start soon, too. Let's go already!", suggested Renna.

"Yes."

Some of the CPUs were already running at them both when the pair started moving. Renna and Gil stuck close together while moving. The volunteers comprised of both Blancs, Ultra Noire, Plutia and Neptune, in that order.

Ultradimension Blanc, taking up the front, planned on attacking first. She did notice that the pair hadn't drawn out any weapon at all. Did they not have any? Or... maybe they preferred hand to hand combat. Or perhaps they would draw their weapons when they were closer, like a knife or something similar. She noted all of these options.

"I'll go first, the rest of you stay out of my swinging range!", said Ultra Blanc to the others while still looking forward.

"Try not to damage anything! This is still a Basilicom, you know?", said Ultra Noire.

Ultra Blanc was close to the pair. She swung left at them, and they dodged it by moving backwards. The other members of the group stopped a small distance away, letting Blanc have what she wanted.

"And what're you guys gonna do now, huh?", asked Ultra Blanc. She stood still, and had readjusted her hammer in front of her, holding it with both hands. Renna and Gil had stopped in their tracks, looking at Ultra Blanc. They stuck close together. "Guess I gotta go to you, hey?" Ultra Blanc spun around to her left once while holding her hammer out.

The pair dodged backwards again. "Oh, come on.", scoffed Ultra Blanc. Renna and Gil stood still for a moment, and then advanced to Blanc. "That's more like it."

When she was close enough, Renna jumped into the air. She did a front flip and aimed to bring her left foot down onto Blanc. Ultra Blanc held her hammer up and blocked the attack with the pole of her hammer. Meanwhile, Gil had rushed up to Blanc and pulled his right arm back, readying it for a punch. Ultra Blanc saw this, and reacted by spinning her hammer out in front of her, protecting herself and throwing Renna off.

"We need a way to get through to her.", said Renna.

"I have an idea.", responded Gil.

"Hey, what're you two going on about? This is still a fight!"

Renna nodded to Gil and looked at Blanc.

"We know!", smiled Renna.

Gil held both of his hands out to his sides, and flames appeared in the both of them.

"Fire magic...", said Hyper Blanc.

"Keep that in mind.", said Ultra Noire.

"What, you're gonna throw some fireballs at me?", shouted Ultra Blanc.

Without responding, Gil thrust his hands forward, releasing the flames. Ultra Blanc readied to dodge a few fireballs, but she found that, instead of the fire rushing to her, it formed a small wall of sorts that was approaching her. "I can just blow that away when it gets close enough.", mumbled Ultra Blanc, readying her hammer by her right shoulder, waiting to swing.

A hole in the wall appeared, and Blanc saw a shape fly towards her. Renna was shooting through the air towards Blanc with her foot out in front of her. Caught off guard, Blanc could not defend herself. Renna's foot made contact with Ultra Blanc's chest, and she then kicked off and did a backflip, forcing Blanc backwards.

Renna was still in the air, and Gil was dashing towards Blanc. Ultra Blanc was getting to her feet when she saw a figure dash past her. Hyper Blanc had ran in front of her, heading towards Gil. While running, she readied a few ice balls around her. She looked upwards to Renna and shot out her Gefarlichtern spell.

The ice shot up towards Renna with great speed. Renna maneuvered in the air, dodging a few of them, but was ultimately hit by most of them and was sent back through the air. Gil noticed this and pivoted on his foot, heading towards where Renna would land.

"Renna!", he shouted out.

Hyper Blanc slowed down her approach, coming to a stop. The rest of the group that was with her walked to her side.

Neptune gave a thumbs up to Hyper Blanc. "Nice one, Blanc!"

Ultra Blanc looked to her counterpart. "...Thanks."

"Don't mention it...", replied Hyper Blanc.

"You're soooo nice, other Blanny!", said Plutia.

Meanwhile, Gil was running towards his sister. He slid across the ground, catching Renna in his arms. "Renna, you alright?"

Renna's eyes were closed, but she opened them and looked at Gil with a smile. "Yup! I was bracing for the impact, but looks like you took care of that for me!"

"And the spell?"

Renna placed a hand to her chest. "It packs a punch. But I'm A-Okay!"

"That's good to hear." Gil let go of Renna so that she could rise to her feet. They then both looked at the group of CPUs ahead of them.

"Maybe we should rush past them?", suggested Gil.

"We can try, but I don't know if it'll work."

Gil nodded, and they both started running forward.

"Oh no you don't!", said Ultra Noire, shooting a wave of energy towards the pair.

They both slid under it. "See?", said Renna.

"Yes."

"Well then let's do something about that!", said Renna, smiling while getting to her feet, pulling her brother upwards and into a run. "I'm gonna do something, Gil!"

"I'll follow."

Renna ran ahead of Gil, making a small distance between the two.

"What're you trying?", said Hyper Blanc, rushing towards her.

Before they made contact, water started to form at Renna's feet. It increased in volume around her.

"What the-?", said Hyper Blanc.

The water increased in volume even more, increasing in height. Renna rode a small wave of water towards Hyper Blanc.

"Blanc, look out!", shouted Neptune.

Hyper Blanc watched as Renna moved towards her. She dodged to her left, avoiding the wave. She then turned around to look at the aftermath, when she realized Gil was still a threat. She spun around again, just in time to see a fist heading for her face. Her eyes widened as she dodged to the left. Gil followed up with more attacks, but Blanc was blocking them with her hammer.

Renna's wave crashed down on the other CPUs, forcing them to run out of the way. Renna had jumped into the air just before the wave crashed, and she landed on her feet. She spun to see Gil fighting with Blanc. She rushed towards them both.

Blanc and Gil both had chances to attack, with Gil dodging and weaving and Blanc blocking. Blanc swung right towards Gil, and he ducked down, about to hit her with an uppercut... When he stopped himself and felt a slight pain in his back. He got onto one knee, holding himself up with both arms.

The CPUs looked on from afar, still recovering from the wave attack. They then looked towards the other group protecting Histoire and saw Uni aiming towards Hyper Blanc and Gil. She had shot a paralyzing bullet at Gil.

"Better work right this time.", Uni thought to herself.

Hyper Blanc silently thanked Uni and then looked back at Gil. She made an underarm swing with her hammer, sending Gil away. He slid across the ground, coming to a stop a few meters away. He watched on as Hyper Blanc ran towards him. She raised her hammer above her when she was suddenly tripped up, falling forward onto her stomach.

Renna materialized seemingly out of nowhere. She was on the ground, and she had swung her legs to trip Blanc. She spun around and got onto her legs, looking at Blanc. "Invisibility, remember?"

Hyper Blanc was getting up from the floor when she felt an arm grab her right shoulder. Gil had picked her up from behind, flinging her away from Renna. Hyper Blanc landed close to the other CPUs, although she was still a fair distance away. They had all recovered from the wave attack by now.

"You okay?", asked Renna.

"Yes. Paralysis... isn't fun.", replied Gil.

"And it's the second time today!"

"...I know."

They then shifted their vision to see Hyper Blanc running at them. "Renna, we have to take some of them down."

"We've been trying to do that."

"I know, but we need to single one out for now."

"Well, let's start with her."

"Okay. Use your magic."

"Alright! I've got an idea!"

"Me too." They both rushed to Hyper Blanc.

"They could still have something we haven't seen yet!", shouted Ultra Blanc.

While Renna and Gil were running forward, Gil held out his right hand towards Hyper Blanc. A white light appeared in the palm of his hand.

"Light magic?", said Ultra Noire.

"Seems like it.", replied Neptune. They had gotten closer to the fight.

The light shot out of Gil's hands, and it shot towards Hyper Blanc's chest. It completely missed her, whizzing past her chest and to the ground. "Nice shot!", shouted Hyper Blanc, sarcastically.

"That was the point.", said Gil. The light that had missed Blanc hit the ground a small distance away from the rest of the CPUs. Upon contact, it exploded, causing an intense light to blind the group.

"My eyes! My eyes!", said Neptune, putting her hands to her eyes.

"Owee…", said Plutia, who did the same.

"It's just like before!", exclaimed Ultra Noire, but she, too, was blinded. Out of that group, only Hyper Blanc could see, and she was still advancing.

Renna made a slight jump into the air, spinning around in the process. When she turned back around, she held a mass of darkness in her left hand. She threw it out, and it shot towards Hyper Blanc. Blanc made to move her head out of the way, but the magic coiled around her head as if it was a blindfold. She stopped in her tracks, trying to rip the magic off.

She pulled it off just in time to see Gil right in front of her, his right arm shooting towards her. He made contact, punching Blanc in her stomach, making her recoil. Renna then rushed up to the stumbling Blanc, putting her left leg behind Blanc's left leg and pushing Blanc with her hands, sending her to the ground.

Gil jumped into action, holding Blanc's hands down on the floor. Renna moved to Blanc's head, looking down at her. Blanc was struggling to get loose from Gil's grip when Renna's hand moved just over Blanc's face, centimeters off.

The other CPUs who were protecting Histoire could not see what was happening due to their sight being obscured by the group who had rushed forward to meet the pair.

Ram held Rom's hand anxiously. "W-What's happening?"

"Last I saw, your sister was rushing towards the both of them. She was defending the other Blanc, and then stopped.", said Hyper Vert.

"And that boy threw out some light which blinded the others.", said Hyper Noire.

"We... We should do something!", said Ram.

"But... We have to protect Histoire…", said Rom.

"But... we need to help Blanc!"

"We need to stay here, Ram.", said Ultra Vert. "That is what we all agreed upon. We stay here."

"Ugh... Fine..."

The group of CPUs who had gone forward recovered from their brief blindness, opening their eyes. "Geez, I'm seeing stars over here!", exclaimed Neptune.

"Neptune, shut u-", started Ultra Noire, widening her eyes when she looked forward. "Wha… What?"

"What's going oooon?", asked Plutia. Ultra Noire pointed towards where the fight had been.

On the ground, Hyper Blanc was lying down. She had her eyes closed, and she wasn't moving. Renna was standing over her, looking down. Gil had got up from the floor. Renna turned to face the others while Gil looked at them. They both looked to be hurt. They had taken quite a few hits, and it showed.

But...

They stood with Hyper Blanc to their left, still lying on the floor. Renna was smiling.

"What did you do?!", shouted Ultra Blanc.

"Don't worry, she's not dead."

"That doesn't answer the question!", replied Ultra Blanc. She was very agitated.

"Why would we tell you that?", asked Gil, still looking serious.

How had... What? Blanc had been... taken down? How was that possible?

"Whaaaaaaat? Blanny's out?", asked Plutia.

"They must have some sort of cheat move! Cheat code! Up, up, down, down, left, right and so on!", said Neptune.

"Shut up, Neptune! They've done... something, to Blanc, and even if we don't know what they did, we clearly shouldn't underestimate them.", said Ultra Noire.

Ultra Noire thought on what she had last seen, and tried to figure out what had happened. Hyper Blanc had been rushing towards the pair of them. Then, that boy sent a light to the rest of the group, blinding them. "But what... happened after that?", thought Ultra Noire. She'd heard some sounds of effort, and it was brief. Whatever happened, it hadn't taken long.

The Blancs were both physically tough. There was no way either of them could've been tired out from such a short exchange. The blindness had only lasted for a few seconds! Maybe Neptune did have a point... Well, besides it being a cheat from a video game. Perhaps they had some sort of... magic, that didn't deal with physical traits, but rather rendered the person out of commission without having to ware down the body? What else was there... She needed more details to work off of.

Meanwhile, Ultra Blanc had rushed forward at the two, who had also began to run towards her. She smashed the ground with her hammer that she had imbued with ice.

"I said that you should try to not damage this place!", shouted Ultra Noire. Ultra Blanc ignored her.

Ice ran across the ground rapidly, quickly making ground on the pair. "Woah!", exclaimed Renna, trying to slow herself down.

"Jump, I'll throw you.", said Gil.

"But-"

"Just do it, I'll be fine."

"Okay!" Renna leaped into the air, and Gil caught her legs. He spun around once and threw her high into the air. Just after that, the ice enclosed his legs, trapping him on the spot. He braced himself, waiting for Blanc to hit him with her hammer, which she did. The impact hit him so hard that he broke from the ice and was sent back a few meters across the ground.

Ultra Blanc then summoned her ice magic like Hyper Blanc had, sending them upwards at Renna. Renna spread her arms out, throwing a coat of water in front of her. It acted as a sort of shield, since the water was frozen upon making contact with the ice, stopping the magic attack.

Renna then landed and ducked to avoid a swing from Blanc. She spun around, sweeping Blanc out from under her legs. Renna then went to place a hand over Blanc's face, but Blanc swatted her hand away and subsequently punched Renna in her stomach, causing her to recoil back. Gil was already running towards Blanc, who had not risen to her feet yet.

Plutia intercepted him with an attack of her own. She smacked the ground with a doll, specifically, a Noire doll. The attack caused a crack in the ground. "Woah, Plutie, that was quick!", said Neptune.

"And this is your Basilicom, Plutia! You should try to NOT damage it!", exclaimed Ultra Noire, who was somewhat offput by Plutia using a doll of her for a weapon. Plutia kept attacking, swiping from left to right, upwards and downwards.

Neptune saw that Renna was rushing at Plutia and Ultra Blanc and decided to intervene. "Later, Noire!"

"Don't die.", said Ultra Noire.

"Neptune joins the battle!" She jumped in front of Renna with her blade out in front of her.

Renna stopped in her tracks, looking past Neptune. She saw that Gil and that girl, Plutia, were fighting. She also saw that that the other Raven, the one she hadn't met, was hanging back. She looked to be thinking about something. Renna thought that they should probably stop her from doing that. But for now, she had to get past this girl here. Neptune.

Renna took a more natural, lax posture. "Can I ask you a question?"

Neptune saw this and did the same. "Sure!" She was aware that they were fighting, and that Plutia was going at it as well, but she could handle herself.

"Why haven't you or the others transformed yet?"

There was a small pause.

Neptune put a hand to her chin, thinking about why that was the case. "You know, that's a good question. I suppose it's because we don't really want to kill you guys or anything."

Renna narrowed her eyes slightly. "So you're going easy on us?"

"Um, I wouldn't really say that."

"I see." Renna then rushed forward to Neptune, who saw that and prepared herself.

This girl was fast. Neptune saw her jump and try to slam her foot down onto Neptune. She blocked it, but then Renna slipped down and got onto her hands, moving backwards before propelling herself towards Neptune, her foot rocketing towards Neptune's body. Neptune dodged the attack and hit Renna with the handle of her sword, causing her to fall to the ground.

"You're pretty quick!", said Neptune. Renna looked up at Neptune and then shifted her head towards Gil.

He was still fighting Plutia, and Raven was still thinking. Plutia swung at Gil with her doll, and Gil caught it with his left hand, going in for a right punch. Plutia then channeled electricity into the doll, electrifying Gil. She then pulled her doll back and started beating Gil with it. He couldn't defend himself from the attacks. He was smacked in his chest, on his limbs, and across his face.

In the meantime, Ultra Blanc had moved to Hyper Blanc. She picked up the unconscious Blanc and saw that she was breathing slowly. "Is she... sleeping?" She began shaking Hyper Blanc in an attempt to wake her up, to no affect.

Renna saw what Ultra Blanc was doing. "Hold out a little longer, Gil." She looked up at Neptune and threw her arm out, wrapping the dark blindfold around Neptune.

"Nepu!", exclaimed Neptune, who started swinging her sword around. Seeing this, Renna decided to go after Ultra Blanc instead.

Ultra Blanc was still shaking her sleeping counterpart. "Come on, wake up, wake up!"

"It's not that easy.", said Renna suddenly, who then kicked Ultra Blanc onto her stomach. Ultra Noire watched from a distance. She felt really bad for not being there to help, but she was too far away. At least she got more information...

Ultra Noire saw that Renna pinned Ultra Blanc's arms with her left hand and then covered Ultra Blanc's eyes with her right hand, holding it there. It looked as if Renna muttered something, and then Ultra Blanc went slack. Ultra Noire also saw what had blinded Neptune. It was a magic attack using darkness to cover her eyes.

Neptune had just gotten free from her blindness to see Renna rushing towards her. She readied herself, thrusting her sword forward...To find that Renna dodged out of the way and kept running towards Gil. Neptune was very confused.

Renna was looking to interrupt Plutia's attacks when she herself saw a flash of light, accompanied by someone intercepting her.

"I won't let you do that little move of yours.", spoke Ultra Black Heart, her blade to her side. Renna stopped, as did Plutia.

"Ooooh? We can transform?", spoke Plutia, in a gleeful manner.

"Yes, fine, Plutia, you can transform.", spoke Ultra Black Heart.

"Okaaaay!", said Plutia, who then started glowing. After a second, Iris Heart emerged, looking at Gil with a small smile. Gil narrowed his eyes at her.

"What happened there, Gil?", shouted Renna.

Gil turned his head and spoke back. "Paralysis..."

"Again?!"

"...Yes." Gil, who had been on the floor, got up to face Iris Heart. He was breathing heavily and he looked worn down. Renna was in a similar state.

"Tell me one thing.", said Ultra Black Heart.

"What?", replied Renna.

"What do you mutter when you place your hand by their face?"

Renna waited a moment before speaking. "Sleep." After that, Ultra Black Heart rushed at her, and the battle ensued.

Gil looked at the foe in front of him. "Like what you're seeing?", asked Iris Heart, in a teasing yet threatening tone.

"No."

"Oh? Really?"

"Yes."

"Hah!", said Iris Heart, who then rushed at Gil. She was much faster than before, catching Gil off guard. She started with a kick, hitting Gil in his chest with her heel. He recoiled back, getting smacked across his face with the blunt of Iris Heart's sword. He recoiled again, but reacted faster. Iris Heart had tried grabbing Gil's neck, but he evaded, grabbing her arm and throwing her to the floor.

He then lowered down and held her right arm in place, throwing a fist at Iris Heart's face. It made contact, punching Iris Heart hard. He went for another punch, only to find that his arm was held in place by Iris Heart's free hand.

"That one actually stung.", said Iris Heart, who then moved her body upwards, which resulted in them rolling over, with Iris Heart smiling as she pinned Gil down. "But this is much more my style." Renna saw this and instantly went to help Gil.

"Oh no you don't!", said Neptune, who jumped through the air and kicked Renna in her side. Renna stayed upright, but was put off balance.

"Neptune, we need to work together!", shouted Ultra Black Heart.

"Well, duh!"

"I mean we need to attack together!" Ultra Black Heart swung her greatsword at Renna, who bent her body so that she saw the blade pass over her. "Now!"

"You got it!" Neptune hit Renna's stomach with the handle of her sword, forcing her downwards. She then made to hit her again, but Renna rolled out of the way. Ultra Black Heart gave her no time to recover, swiping at Renna as she got to her feet. At the end of her swing, Ultra Black Heart also hit Renna in the stomach with the handle of her sword. She then picked Renna up and threw her towards Neptune, who kicked Renna in the back, sending her to the ground.

Gil, back on his feet, shouted as he saw the fight. "Renna!"

"Uh-uh, you can't do that.", spoke Iris Heart, who back handed Gil across the face. Gil spun around from the impact, and as he faced Iris Heart again, he saw that she once again was reaching for his neck. Gil was tired and in pain, as was Renna, but he had to get them out of here while having done something...

That was it. They didn't need to fight the CPUs. They only had to distract them, and then go after that fairy. He would have to last a little longer. He had to put a lot more effort in. He dodged out of the way from Iris Heart's grab and threw his left fist to her stomach.

Iris Heart felt this, but was going to grab his arm to throw him away. Gil didn't stop there, though. He kept throwing punches, aiming for her stomach and face. He connected multiple times and then kicked Iris Heart away from himself. He spun to face Renna, and saw that she was still being attacked.

Neptune was currently in the process of grabbing Renna from behind, trying to pin her, with Ultra Black Heart not far from her. Gil jumped at Ultra Black Heart, igniting a fist as he struck her head from behind, forcing her downwards. As they both fell, he grabbed her head and drove it into the ground hard. He didn't stop there. He rushed at Neptune, who was still behind Renna. Gil saw that Neptune had let go of Renna as he advanced. Gil rushed to Neptune and pushed her over, causing her to stumble backwards.

Gil caught Renna before she fell to the floor. "We need to move, Renna!"

"I know. Just... a little beaten up."

"Me too. We need to prioritize that fairy."

"Okay, let's buy some time, then I'll get us there."

Gil nodded, and they both sprung into action. As Neptune got up from the floor, Gil picked her up and threw her into the air. Renna jumped up and kicked Neptune away, sending her through the Basilicom. As Renna landed, Gil threw her towards Ultra Black Heart. Renna landed with a kick to her back, causing Ultra Black Heart to stay down long enough for the pair to advance.

"I'm still here!", said Iris Heart, blocking their way.

Renna grabbed a hold of Gil's left hand and jumped into the air. Gil then spun to his right while moving forward, and then threw Renna towards Iris Heart at high speeds. Iris Heart hadn't expected this, and could only just raise her sword in time to block. Renna then kicked off of Iris Heart, sending her backwards to Gil.

Gil caught her in his right hand and threw her to Iris Heart again. This time, the kick landed, with Renna coating her foot in water. The splash disorientated Iris Heart, allowing Gil to attack Iris Heart and kick her to the side. Gil then spun around and shot out a flashbang, hoping that it would blind the other two CPUs.

The siblings stopped and faced the other group of CPUs in the distance.

"Renna..."

"On it!" Renna coated the two of them in darkness, and then they were both invisible. The CPUs took offensive stances, waiting for any sort of attack. They waited for a few seconds, but nothing came.

"Sleep.", came a voice. The CPUs spun around to see Renna holding her hand over Uni's face, causing her to go limp. Gil had a hold of the bigger Histoire, who could not get out of his grip. Wasting no time, they immediately ran to the exit. As they ran, Renna put Histoire to sleep.

"What?!", exclaimed Hyper Noire, while the twins took scared faces.

Ultra Vert gave chase immediately. "We need to move!" The rest of the group followed not long after. They passed Ultra Black Heart and Iris Heart, who were up from the floor.

"We'll stay back and deal with the others.", said Ultra Black Heart. Both of the Blanc's were starting to stir. Ultra Black Heart and Iris Heart flew to them.

Neptune, who was still in alright condition, got up from the floor and joined the group. They exited the Basilicom and saw that the pair were running for a forest.

"Histoire has been captured.", stated Hyper Vert.

"No! Not again, Histoire! Not another Captivisty!", said Neptune.

"W-What're we going to do?!", asked Ram. Rom was next to her, and they were holding hands. To see both Blancs go down in such a manner disturbed the both of them tremendously. The two Verts, sensing growing panic, took charge.

"We have to give chase! Immediately! We cannot afford to lose them!", said the Hyper Vert.

"We do not know what they will do to her if they have their way, so we cannot rest yet. Histoire, you stay here and look after the others. Make sure that they know where we are.", said the Ultra Vert. The smaller Histoire simply nodded, still shocked from what happened in front of her.

"We need to get going! Come on!", added Noire, also sensing the panic.

"Yeah, let's go. Nep Jr., you with us?"

Nepgear, in a slight daze, snapped back to the situation at hand. "Y-yes, I'm with you."

"Alright then, round two! We're coming for ya, Histy! Don't you worry that cute little butt of yours!", proclaimed Neptune.

And so, Neptune, Nepgear, the Hyperdimension Noire, both Verts, and Rom and Ram, gave chase to Renna and Gil. They transformed and started to fly just above the forest. They could still make out the pair, and would catch up to them soon.

They had to catch up to them soon.

Before the worst came to pass.

* * *

**I hope that came out better.**** I made the fight longer, and I made them take more damage and be more tired. I also tried to make the way both Blancs' were taken down to feel more natural. **

**And I hope I showed Renna and Gil's magic abilities better. ****Renna can use water and darkness magic, and Gil can use fire and light magic.**

**But anyway, let me know! Don't be afraid to leave your reviews and opinions on this chapter! It's always appreciated.**

**So... yeah!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	6. Their Little Trick

**Again! Another readable document for you to go through! It kicks off straight after the previous one, and at some point it may be a little… weird (you'll know when you get there), but don't worry, read on, and there is a perfectly reasonable explanation in the text.**

**It's about the same length as the last one, just a heads up.**

**Anyways, enough from me! Read away, and please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 5:**

The group of remaining CPUs, in their transformed state, were quickly gaining ground on the pair of kidnappers. They were fast, yes, but not much could compare to the speed of a flying Goddess, especially if they were as motivated as they are now. The pair had to think on the spot. They hadn't spent a lot of time in the newer version of this dimension, so they were not caught up on the geography. They made the choice of making a mad dash towards the inner forest where they could lose the Goddesses in the thicker parts. That was all they could do at this point.

The CPUs that were adept at longer range combat couldn't attack, as they feared that they could harm Histoire. They had to find some way to get closer, or somehow release Histoire from their captivity. The Verts, being the fastest of the CPUs, attempted to close the gap. They split off from the rest of the group. They knew that they both had great chemistry with each other, and as such were mostly in sync when fighting. At least, they hoped.

The boy was holding onto Histoire. She was not bound by any means, and was simply asleep. The Verts decided to focus on the girl. The fact that the pair had limited knowledge of the CPUs capabilities worked in the Goddesses favour. They would act quickly, concisely, and precisely. They would catch them off guard, as the pair had done to them before. It would be done in seconds.

The kidnappers, unaware of how fast both Verts were, did not anticipate them catching up so soon. The two Verts summoned their Sylhet Spears, since it was a very precise technique and did not pose any threat to Histoire. Having heard the glyphs, Renna and Gil turned their heads, but could not react fast enough. The spears, aimed exclusively at Renna, had each made deep cuts into the left side of her lower torso and right thigh.

Both the boy and girl made brief screams, turning to partially face the attackers. In their slight panic, they did not notice Hyper Vert swiftly move around them. She struck Renna across her back with the blunt of her spear, causing her to fall over onto her knees. She was bleeding, the blood slowly making its way down her legs and soaking into the left side of her shirt.

"Renna!", shouted the boy, visibly furious. He looked at Hyper Vert with Histoire still in hand. Ultra Vert attempted to subdue Renna by situating the hilt of the spear along her neck. Gil spun to face her, pulling Renna out of harm's way with his left hand. Hyper Vert took this opportunity to strike at his right arm, aiming to get him to drop Histoire. His arm now held a long slice, but he retained his grip.

Gil pulled Renna up with his left arm and started running, retaining his grip on her arm. Renna could still run, but significantly slower. This gave the other CPUs an opportunity to catch up. They attempted to surround the pair, lowering down to the ground. They had encircled them.

"Return Histoire to us, and you will no longer have to face us in combat.", said Purple Heart, cool and serious.

Gil scoffed. "As if we would believe such blatant lies. You think we don't know that you'd want to take us in as well?"

"Neptune, they do have a point.", spoke Purple Sister.

"Well then wholly submit yourselves to us, and you shall be harmed no further!", shouted Black Heart.

White Sisters Rom and Ram were readying ice magic, aiming to lock the two in place, the same technique that they'd tried the last time.

Gil retained his stance. "We will not. We won't be subjugated by you Goddesses."

Purple Heart placed a hand to her head. "Why can't they ever think clearly… We're not tyrants, we really won't harm you if you comply."

Renna was still bleeding, and was starting to look paler. Gil's arm was not in much better shape, and his grip on Histoire was loosening slowly. The two looked at each other meaningfully, and Gil looked back to Purple Heart. "We won't."

"Of course…", muttered Purple Heart, looking towards the twins. They unleashed their magic, amplified by their Goddess forms. It was much faster and sturdier this time. Gil didn't know what to do. He couldn't leave Renna behind, and he couldn't get them both out of the way in time.

Renna slowly raised her hand. "W…Wall…" A wall of water appeared from the ground, in front of the approaching frost. It froze over, fully enveloped in ice.

Gil looked back to his sister, who was looking even paler than before. He was grateful that she did that, and he completely understood that she had to, but the toll from doing so in such a state was taxing on her body. She was lying down now, as she could barely stand anymore. Gil looked at her with great worry, even dropping Histoire to hold his sister. Due to all the commotion, Histoire had awoken, and was slightly confused for a moment.

She lifted herself from the ground, floating slightly. She observed her kidnappers. They were just sitting there. The boy, leaning over his sister, was holding the girl with both of his hands. She was lying down on her back, and looked like she was in no condition for a fight. Her eyes were partially closed, and her right arm was to her side. They both looked so… sad.

It seemed that the tables had turned during Histoire's little nap, which was probably due to the pair's lack of knowledge of what the CPUs could do. They were caught off guard the first time, but they were slightly more prepared, this time. But still… the two looked to be suffering a great deal. There was blood dripping off of the boy's hand, and the girl's shirt had a stain of red on the left side of it. They were both breathing heavily, exasperated from their long sprint and desperate attempts to escape, on top of having fought in the Basilicom.

The boy cupped the girl's right arm, his blood starting to partially flow onto her hand. Had the CPUs gone too far? Were they really just humans, after all? Histoire thought all of these things, and started to float towards both Verts.

"We… Maybe we shouldn't try to harm them anymore, sis. They seem like they're in a really bad condition.", suggested Purple Sister.

"You're right. We should apprehend them quickly. Nep Jr., Noire, let's go."

"Alright, fine. But if they make any moves, I will strike them.", said Black Heart, still very much on guard.

They started walking towards the pair, never moving their eyes off of them. They were still lying there, as if nothing else was happening around them. It seemed as if time slowed down while the CPUs watched them there, sitting. As peaceful as they could be in their current situation.

Gil spotted the approaching three. He gently placed Renna's arm back on the ground and stood up to face the CPUs. His right leg faltered, giving out slightly, but he retained his stance. He looked at them with a face full of sadness. His eyes were drooping slightly, and his mouth curled downwards. He started walking to the three Goddesses, his legs never faltering as they did before.

He raised his right hand and reached out to Purple Heart. Whether this was a sign of peace, or an effort to harm them, they did not know. With speed and grace, Black Heart, without hesitation, moved her way around the boy, and struck his back with the hilt of her greatsword. He fumbled over, getting onto one knee. For a second, his eyes made contact with Purple Heart's and rested there, staring. Black Heart then kicked at his back, forcing him to lie down on his stomach.

Purple Heart sighed. "You didn't have to be so rough."

"I did. We have no idea what they might have up their sleeve. I'm just being careful.", said Black Heart. Her eyes never left the boy, making sure that he didn't try anything else.

Purple Heart was the one to pick him up. She held him in both hands, his arms hanging limp at his sides. He was becoming pale, akin to his sister. "I'll carry him to the Basilicom. We can hold them there.", said Purple Heart, in a calm voice.

"Fine, but be sure to separate them. We don't want another tag-team fiasco like before.", said Black Heart, noting how in tune the pair was with each other. "We're lucky we surprised them, thanks to the Verts." She looked across to the opposite side of the encirclement, spotting both of them. Histoire was by them, and the two were checking for any signs of damage.

Purple Heart was still looking at Black Heart. She really could be a nice person when she wanted to be. A little cold, but still appreciative. She was still a bit bloodthirsty in this form, but the concern she expressed was for the safety of the whole group. That honesty made a huge difference. "We all appreciate your contributions as well, Noire."

Black Heart looked back to her, her face loosening slightly, but still retaining her serious expression. "Hmph, I already know that.", she said haughtily. She held a small smile, nonetheless. Purple Heart smiled back, then turned her attention to the boy in her arms.

He was still injured from their previous bouts, when Neptune's group arrived in the Ultradimension and when they had fought in the Basilicom, but something else caught her attention. His eyes were locked onto her eyes. His face was blank, similar to his usual expression, besides his eyes being slightly closed. He was staring. Purple Heart noted that his eyes were different colours. His right eye was grey, and his left eye was cyan. The opposite to his sister.

There was a deep sadness in his eyes. It was a look that conveyed deep suffering and struggle. Purple Heart retained her composed expression, but was wondering what could've caused such a look. She lifted her head, looking towards her sister. "Nep Jr., you go carry the girl. Be careful, please."

"I will, sis." Nepgear started walking towards the girl on the floor. She got onto one knee beside her, and leaned her head over the girl's face. She was still bleeding, but it was nothing that couldn't be treated. They'd have to hurry, though, or else her condition could worsen.

"Where…"

Nepgear looked at the girl's face. She was looking up at Nepgear.

"Where… is Gil? Where… is my brother?"

"Don't worry, he's safe. My sister is carrying him. We're going to treat both of your injuries, soon."

"Your… sister…"

"Yes, my sister. He's in great hands."

"I… I have to see him. I have to… where is he?" Her voice was quiet.

"I'll take you to him now. Just hang on, I'm going to pick you up."

Nepgear picked up the girl, and turned to face Purple Heart, starting to walk towards her.

"R…Renna!", said the boy. He was speaking as loud as he could, but could not shout.

"Gil!"

"You have to... do it… our little trick…"

"I-I don't know if I can…" Their voices were still low.

"You can. You should have enough… I should've given you enough."

The CPUs were wary, unaware of what they were talking about.

"I… are you sure?"

"Yes. Please, Renna. We have to…"

"O…Okay…"

"…to get away."

The girl started glowing slightly. It accelerated, working its way up her body. Nepgear was shocked, and dropped the girl. Just before she backed away, as the light was about to cover the girl's face, Nepgear spotted something in her right eye. It was a power symbol.

Instead of falling, the girl floated, retaining her height in the air, hovering above the ground. Everyone was on guard, raising their weapons, with the exception of Purple Heart, still holding onto Gil. Renna was upright now, and the light had faded.

She donned a suit that was primarily cyan, with grey lines and inlays present across it. The lines were either where the different sections of the suit started, or in the center of each section. The back of her upper arm and legs were not covered by her suit, as well as the upper chest area just below her collar bones, her neck and her face. Both of her eyes were cyan, and her hair had elongated, slightly reaching past her elbows. It was now fully cyan. Her hair was still straight and it flowed down her back. Her injuries were also slowly disappearing. Her wings were cyan and projected grey energy out of them.

She was a Goddess.

Renna looked around with a somewhat carefree face, like the one she had on back in the Basilicom at the beginning. Her head darted towards Purple Heart, and her eyes moved from her face, to her brother, and back up. Black Heart and Nepgear each readied their weapons. Renna was still standing in her normal, seemingly lax position. Then,n an instant, with heightened speed she dashed towards Purple Heart. Due to the sudden change in her position, and because Black Heart and Nepgear were close to her, they did not have a chance to stop her.

She ran straight up towards Purple Heart. Renna was shorter than her, and when she reached Purple Heart, she floated off of the ground to match her height. Her face was centimeters away from Purple Heart's. Purple Heart's eyes widened in shock, and she braced herself, but she did not receive any form of attack. Instead, Renna stared at her. Her smile was the same, her eyebrows retained their shape, and there were no contortions on her face. But her eyes…

Her eyes were wide open, almost leering at Purple Heart. They were menacing, and frightening. And they were dark blue, the darkest blue imaginable, a stark contrast to her usual light eyes in her human form. Or…was Purple Heart mistaken? Weren't her eyes both cyan upon transforming? Had she just imagined it, or had they changed colour?

"Let him go." They stayed in that position for a few moments. Everyone else looked at the two, worried something might happen, whether they made a move or not.

Renna's eyes continued to pierce into Purple Heart, as if she was looking straight into her soul, straight into what made her, her, straight into her human form, her Goddess form, and the faith that was placed into her by her people and by those that trusted her. It was a glare that conveyed that she could observe all of these things, and see between these worlds. A deep, dark stare. Unfaltering, unbroken. Unbreakable. And all that she asked for was her brother.

"Please can you just let him go? I really want him back."

Purple Heart had never experienced such a powerful glare before. It was… unsettling.

"I can't take him from you without potentially hurting him, and that would really upset me." She took hold of Purple Heart's hands, but there was no amount of force behind them. They rested there, waiting. Purple Heart's grip loosened slightly, but she still held onto Gil. "Please."

Purple Heart could not just let them go. She had to do something, anything, to get away. Whether it was only with the boy, or with them both, it did not matter. They had this small victory in hand, and they had to retain it.

"I…"

Renna spoke before she could continue, cutting in immediately. "Hmmm?" It was not a threatening sound. It was actually carefree, almost friendly. But her eyes...

"I cannot do that. We cannot let you go, not with what you have tried to do. You need to come with us. We will not hurt you. We will tend to both of your wounds, and we will question you."

Renna was still staring at her.

"If possible, we would like to solve this peacefully. We want to know what your objectives are and solve it in a peaceful manner. Please, won't you come with us?" Purple Heart pulled her left arm away from the grip of Renna without resistance, and held it out to Renna, hoping that she would take it as a sign of peace. "Please."

"Hmmmmm…" Renna looked to her brother. His eyes were now closed, and it seemed like he had passed out. She gazed at him for a while, eyes softening slightly. She looked back, eyes returning to that uncomfortable stare. "I don't think that's possible, Neptune." Renna quickly reached out for Purple Heart's right hand, the one that was holding Gil, and pulled it out from under him. He started falling, but Renna caught him with both arms and quickly backed away from Purple Heart.

"Sorry." She took off, causing a strong surge of wind, pushing back the CPUs. Histoire had to hold on to the Verts for dear life.

There, where she last stood, was a small crater, similar to the first time the pair had escaped. Everyone stared at it blankly. Purple Heart's mouth was slightly agape. There was silence. They were gone.

Ram broke the silence, attempting to bring everyone back to their senses. "Well… at least we got Histy back! That's a plus, right guys?"

"Yes… yes, that is true. Thank you, Ram.", spoke Hyper Vert.

"So we should all just go back to the Basilicom and see the others!", continued Ram. Rom nodded beside her.

Purple Heart smiled at Ram."And since when did you become the motivator, Ram?"

"Well, somebody's gotta do it!"

"Let's get back. We have to inform everyone of what just happened. They need to know that that girl is a Goddess, too.", spoke Black Heart. After that, they lifted off, flying back towards where they came from.

Purple Heart thought back on what just happened with Renna. That stare of hers… It was nothing like Plutie's, or Iris Heart's. Plutie's was one of lust, of violence, both of which were completely intentional. She tried to make her opponents feel uncomfortable to give her that extra edge. But most of the time, it was because she wanted to toy with them, on and off the battlefield.

But that girl's stare… it was different. It was terrifying exactly because it was not trying to be. It did not convey that she was putting it on to mess with her enemy. It was genuine, unintended. But it still had the qualities of someone that really, really wanted something. And that unadulterated glare of hers was truly off-putting. And that girl had not even made an attempt to hurt her. The rest of her demeanour was friendly. Her grip was not painful, her smile was warm, and she did not look angry.

It was just her eyes. Those dark eyes.

* * *

**Deeper inside Virtua Forest, a few minutes later:**

Renna had taken Gil to a secluded part of the inner forest, a different place than before. There were not as many trees as there were in the previous area, and there were many more noises and pretty looking plants nearby. The clouds had mostly cleared up since their little trip to the big, purple and white building, and more sunlight was piercing through, shining onto the areas around them.

It was all very peaceful, a common theme among the places they would rest at. But that mattered little to Renna, still in her transformed state. She was only concerned about her brother's safety at this point.

Her brother. HER brother.

…How dare they touch him. How dare they hurt him. Nobody could hurt him, not even herself, the closest person to him. He was all she had, and she was all he had. They were each other's.

She placed him down onto some grass, making sure that the ground was soft, but not unpleasant. She would not want him to feel uncomfortable. She surveyed the area, making sure that there were no monsters nearby to harm him. She spotted none, and heard nothing suspicious. Good signs.

"Barrier." A wide circumference became visible on the ground, as if someone was drawing on it. It was black, thin, and did not extend up from the ground. It would react if any living thing tried to move past it, to where they were. It would keep them safe. Him, safe.

She sat down by Gil's head. She crossed her legs and situated his head in the middle of it as a sort of pillow for him. She held out her hand, coating his right hand in a thin layer of water, aiding in the healing process.

She waited a few minutes, listening around her. There was a slight breeze, and she liked the way it felt when it blew across her face. But that wasn't her primary concern, at this point.

She looked down at Gil and attempted to wake him up. "Gil." No response. He was still unconscious, or maybe asleep. Who did this to him? Which one? She was unaware of who caused his arm to bleed, as she was in a bit of a daze when she was struck the first time, a fact that upset her immensely. But she knew who hurt him, at the end.

It was that white haired girl. She had hit him with her sword, hit him in the back. She brought him to his knees, and even then, she had lowered him further. How dare she do something like that. She would pay dearly for this. For that pain. And Renna could feel his pain. He remained on one knee even when a Goddess had struck at him. He still stayed up, unrelenting. All for her.

What a truly amazing person her brother was. She tried to wake him up again. "Gil, please wake up. I want you to open your eyes." Still, nothing.

She placed her hands on his left arm, and shook him gently. "Gilly, please." This caused him to stir suddenly. He was surprised at first, as he did not know what happened after he had blacked out, but upon seeing Renna's face, he calmed down. He even gave her a small smile.

It looked like she was still transformed. He had blacked out shortly after he had said those final words, asking her to transform, and as such did not know what happened from there on out.

"Hello again, Renny."

"I'm happy to see you're awake. How are you feeling?"

"I'm still feeling off, but it's much more manageable now..." He felt some sort of wetness on his right arm, and raised it, spotting the thin coat of water surrounding it. "…thanks to you."

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you need me to help you up?"

"No, no, it's fine, I can manage." He raised himself off of her lap slowly, making sure not to hit her head on his way up. He moved away, turning himself, positioning himself upright and facing her, Her eyes looked really nice in this form. They were bright, glowing, and both were cyan. They were both complete.

"I made a barrier around us to keep you safe."

"Thank you, Renna."

"I made sure that there was nothing nearby that could hurt you. I looked and I listened, but there was nothing."

"I'm grateful that you did that."

"I made sure that you were comfortable. I felt the ground, to make sure that the grass was fluffy, and the ground was pleasant. I also used my legs as your pillow."

"Thank you for doing that."

Gil was aware of how his sister acted when she was transformed. It was really weird the first time, but now he was used to it.

His sister, when transformed, thought of him as the most important thing in the world. He always was the priority when he was in danger, and she would put herself in harm's way for him without hesitation. She could still think rationally and make good decisions, just like in her base form, something that he was grateful for. She mostly just acted like this when he was in danger, injured, or when it was just them.

And it wasn't like it was weird. Not once, in the entire time that she could transform, had Renna ever done anything… "out of the ordinary"… towards Gil. She had many opportunities to do so in the past, and she could overpower him when she was transformed. She was a little more forward, a little more direct, but she had never, ever, done anything like that to him before. She wasn't like that, he knew.

She was just deeply grateful for him, in that form. She wanted to protect him with all she had. He was precious to her. She cared for his well-being above her own, and she never asked for anything in return. He always made sure to make it known that he was grateful, even if she sometimes said that it was unnecessary.

Renna shook her head. "You don't need to thank me. I'm alright if I know that you're alright."

"I know, but still. It really does mean a lot to me." He gave her another small, brief smile. Renna's smile was wider, too.

"Now please, Renna, could you turn back? I don't want you tiring yourself out."

"I can protect you better when I'm like this."

"You know that I can protect myself. Besides, we're far away now. They may know where we are at all times, but they've probably returned back to their main hub by now. Please."

"Okay. I'll turn back." She was enveloped in light, from her head downwards, and was eventually back in her base form.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it! It really is tiring, coming back from that form."

"I know."

"And, uh… I know I've said it before, but… I really am sorry about how I act in that form… I'm way to forward when I'm like that. I feel like I'm a bit touchy, too… And I'm sorry if that comes off as a little… weird, but I'm really not planning on doing anything… "different"…"

"I know, Renna. I believe you, don't worry. I know you wouldn't ever try anything like that. We've been together like this for so long, I'm pretty sure you would've by now. You know how strong you are. You could easily overpower me in that form."

"T-Thank you for understanding."

It was always a bit awkward when these situations arose, and as such they were both a bit embarrassed. But that was a normal reaction when discussing a topic like… that. There was genuinely nothing weird going on between the two of them, human or Goddess, and that made the both of them happy.

"Ugh, now my shirt has a hole in it, and my pants do too! And they're all red and stuff…"

"Just clean it out with your water. I'll repair it later."

"You know, I never did understand how your magical light stuff can repair things."

"Light is time, Renna. Different points in time perceive light at different times. The light from the sun does not necessarily reach us as it is projected. It's not that I'm repairing it, it's that I'm… returning it, to how it was."

"O-Okay, I guess that makes sense? Doesn't it take a lot of energy, though?"

"Yes. Even something as small as this takes a lot of energy, so I can only do it when we rest. It's because it's such an intricate process that it takes a lot of energy. Hence why simply projecting it out of me for an attack is almost nothing compared to this."

"Then you shouldn't do it soon! You need to rest!"

"Don't worry, I won't. Just take care of washing it for now."

"Sure, sure." Renna started working away at her shirt, skirt and pants. She had to take them off in order to clean them.

Gil made sure that he was not looking her way, and was actually lying down on his back with his eyes closed. Besides, they were comfortable with each other. They obviously didn't prance around half-naked around each other, but they'd been with one another since they were born, and they became used to it at a very young age.

Renna spread her clothes out onto the ground, then enveloped the parts stained with red in water. It wasn't a long process, maybe ten minutes. But the breeze that once felt nice was now making Renna shiver.

"G-Gil… it's cold now…"

"Already on it." Eyes still closed, he cast a ball of fire in his hands, and held it there. It wasn't large, but it projected a substantial amount of heat. Renna went to sit down next to him and was instantly warmed up by the flame.

"Thanks Gil."

"No problem."

They both sat there, waiting for the clothes to dry. The birds were still chirping, but since it was only a breeze, the trees weren't creaking. The fire made a small, warm sounding noise, which was soothing to listen to. It was peaceful.

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom:**

"Geez… I can't even come up with any funny words right now. What happened to all my spunk and pizzazz?! This chapter's been super serious and all those icky things, where's all the fun?!"

"Neptune… just… shut up already.", said the Blanc of Ultradimension.

Some of the CPUs were tired from the previous battle. It had taken a toll on both body and mind, with stress being an important factor, and as such, the affected CPUs were really lethargic, and some of them were in pain. And even though they were physically fine, the magic that put the Blancs to sleep was lingering with them, and it wasn't like it was a peaceful slumber either. As such, those that were affected still felt tired. Besides, they hadn't faced such strong opponents in months.

"I guess that's just what magic does, huh?", said Neptune, disappointed at her own tiredness.

"I swear, I'm going to slap you.", spoke Hyperdimension Noire.

"Seconded.", added Hyperdimension Blanc, raising her arm while lying down on the couch.

"I guess some of them are tired out.", said Uni.

"Well, yeah, we faced off against strong opponents. It's only natural to feel like this…", spoke Nepgear.

The group who wasn't present on the second "trip" was already caught up. To have the confirmation that one of the pair, at least, was a CPU, was still unnerving. The CPUs all had the same question in their minds, after the explanation was over.

"If Renna is a CPU, what does that make Gil?"

They had no answers to that.

"Uni, could you massage my shoulders for me?", asked Nepgear.

Uni was a little caught off guard by this. "E-Excuse me? You want me to massage you?"

"Yes please Uni."

"But you didn't even fight!"

"I know, but it would feel nice... And I could massage you afterwards!"

"Ugh, fine, I guess I can."

"Thank you, Uni! That wasn't so hard…"

"Keep quiet, you."

As Uni started her massage, both Noires looked at Nepgear and Uni with those half lidded eyes that don't really have a definite name, but are performed by them both on occasion. What's the actual term for that expression, anyway? Disappointed? Jealous? Who knows. They weren't in pain, but a massage sounded really nice. But now they didn't have anyone to ease it.

Neptune is… Neptune, Plutia passed out by the table, the Verts are probably already playing games, the Blancs are just lying about on the couches, the Histoires were bite sized, and Rom, Ram and Peashy were children. Besides, they were asleep. They guess they had no choice…

With intervals between who would massage who, both Noires took turns massaging each other. They were both pretty good, they had to admit. "I guess having a counterpart is nice, after all…", the both of them thought, with small smiles each.

Uni, from her lookout behind Nepgear's back, was observing the two Noires while doing her business. They were getting along better now. More than that in fact, they were friendly with each other. Uni was beyond happy, and also brandished a small smile.

Neptune was lying down on a couch, the Blancs not too far away from her. "I feel like I'm over encumbered, like in that one game with the dragons, err, I mean wyverns in it. Yeah, the one with the Wyvernborn! Uhhhh… doesn't have the same ring to it…"

Both Histoires were floating towards her.

"Hey, Histys? Could you each take one point of weight off of my load? I feel like I could move at normal speed, then. How does that even work? One point under, and you're as fit as a fiddle. One point over, and you're suddenly walking through a deep swamp."

They both looked at her, having gone through this sort of situation with her before.

"Neptune, please be serious", said the smaller Histoire.

"We need to contact Rei soon. She must have an explanation for why those particular two seem to exude the same energy as her.", informed the bigger Histoire.

"Fus-Ro-WAH?! So soon? Can't you see how tired we all are?"

"Neptune, could you stop referencing that one particular game? Your past three lines have each pertained to it, so it might get tiring soon.", said the tiny book fairy.

"Fine, fine…"

"And we did not say that it had to be now. We understand that you are all tired, some more than others, so we know that you have to rest. As much as we'd like to sort this out as quickly as possible, it seems like that is impossible.", said the larger book fairy.

"Oh, thank you, magical tomes! How kind and magnanimous you two are!"

"But we do think that you all need to train. You all need to get stronger in order to face them. Yes, they surprised us, and we had no prior intel, but you are all aware that it takes a high level of skill to subdue one Goddess, and even more for multiple Goddess's. They also executed it in an incredibly quick fashion, much quicker than we've ever experienced before. Also, need I remind you that they hadn't even pulled out any weapons for the entire duration, and even then, they gave you all a run for your money.", said Hyper Histoire.

"Gosh, you didn't need to lift our spirits like that, Histy… I bet we're all super pumped up now…", said Neptune, sarcastically.

"I'm being serious, Neptune. You must all improve, if you wish to be victorious.", continued the bigger fairy.

"Oh no.", said Neptune, out of nowhere.

"What? What is it, Neptune? Is something the matter?", asked the smaller Histoire, wary now.

"Oh, nothing serious. I just don't want this to turn into your typical story. You know, where the characters train, get some new ability, and only use it straight after they learn it, and like, one other time, at the final fight?"

The two Histoires simply looked at her.

"Or like, we get twenty or more transformations, a bunch of sub-forms, and we're all super strong and stuff, but immediately lose after using it once, or even in that same fight, like in that show with all the people with yellow hair? Or is it blue? Red? White? Green? I'm not sure anymore, but what I am sure of is that their hair-care costs are definitely larger than their power levels!"

Again, both fairies stared at Neptune.

"Or like, we suddenly obtain some sort of *plot device* I mean item that totally changes the game, but is forgotten and never used after, like, one time, and all of a sudden we need a galaxy cleaning maid because OH BOY, that's a lot of people-dust. I'm not saying that THAT specific hand-object is subject to that kind of usage, but you get the idea." They were still staring.

"I could go on? You want me too?"

"No, thank you, Neptune. That's quite enough.", spoke the bigger Histoire.

"I agree. For now, you should all return to your respective nations, and rest for the day. We do not have enough time left in the day, so we'll pick up on this issue tomorrow.", finished the smaller Histoire.

"Okey-dokey! I'll go tell the others!" And with that, Neptune told the others about the order of action. Slowly but surely, everyone returned to their own nations, to their own people. Goodbyes were shared, hugs were had, and everyone was eager to get back. Some plans were made between people, though.

Both Blancs would relax with the twins one of these days, and would spend some time outside of the management of their nation.

Both Verts were eager to play games together. Would cross-dimension play even be possible with how different each dimension's technology was? They would both research it, and get back to each other. Tea recipes were shared, as well, and the two even planned on going to conventions together.

Both Noires, much friendlier than they were a few hours ago, suggested that maybe, just maybe, if they each had the time, of course, they could go clothes shopping at some point… Maybe play games together, get something to eat, and even spar with one another.

It was all great fun.

With each person a little happier now due to the plans being shared, they all made their way back to their Basilicoms, preparing for the rest of the day, tomorrow, and the future. The future full of upcoming hardships, particularly concerning the pair of individuals named Renna and Gil. The future that they had to keep safe.

The future that they would keep safe, no matter what.

* * *

**Thanks for finishing this chapter and staying to read this note!**

**I feel like I'm getting the hang of this, but any pointers, opinions, or maybe things that you'd like to say are greatly appreciated. I know I say that every time, but I really do mean it. **

**Thank you again for reading! There's more to come, so please stick with me on this story!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	7. Re(unite)veal

**Remember what I said about there probably not being another chapter out so soon? ****Yeah… I do too…**

**This chapter is the longest one so far. Almost seven thousand words with just the story. Wow.**

**Also, just for reference, in the second half it gets… much different.**

**Remember when I said that there may be some dark parts or themes?**

**Anyway, now that I've hopefully intrigued you, read on! **

**And please enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 6:**

It was a normal morning in the nation of Lowee. The sun was up, a few clouds were dotting the sky, and it was its usual, cold temperature. There was always snow falling in at least one part of the city, and today it was light and wasn't a bother.

It was early, but there were some that had to wake up at that time. They left for work, wrapped in warm clothes, ready for the coming day. It was almost the same for the CPU of Lowee. She had awoken early in the morning, anxious for the coming day. They would travel back to the Ultradimension and come up with a plan to meet Rei. Plutia said that she could make this happen, as she was in contact with that woman.

She was still a bit worn out from yesterday. Not physically, but mentally. She was the second person to face those two in actual combat, and the first person to get taken down, the second being her counterpart. Yes, she had lost her cool in the middle of it, but the facts remained. The defeat was weighing on her. To be taken down in such a way...

She knew she was strong. Hell, she was a walking army with how good her defenses were. Not much moved her on the battlefield, and the other Goddesses knew that. So, why? How did those two manage it?

She thought on this for a while, going through what little she experienced during that fight. She remembered the other Blanc and her entire takedown explicitly. She thought about the similarities between her defeat and her counterpart, as well as what information the others had told her, and she quickly came up with a possible answer.

The pair was well co-ordinated, and the Goddesses weren't. Well, at least, her group of Goddesses…

From what she knew, the Verts were the first two to land an impactful blow while giving chase, and they were the ones that allowed Histoire to be rescued. They attacked in sync with each other, and they quickly did it, too. That's what it was. Their willingness to fight together as a unit. She would have to improve on this in some regards. She would work at teaming up with her sisters first, and later with the other Goddesses.

Her sisters also weighed on her mind… They seemed off when they all returned to their Basilicom, and she couldn't blame them. They were shaken by the Blancs' defeat, and that made Blanc feel even worse. She had to protect them. But she wasn't even there when they flew after the boy and girl. The twins weren't alone, but it wasn't the same.

She was used to this for the most part. They had become more independent, spoke out more, and were strong. But it was never in such a situation like this. Never in such a stressful, unknown scenario.

Ram and Rom also expressed the desire to get stronger. As they were travelling home, they were talking to Blanc about how they should train more. They asked Blanc if they could start immediately, and they did train for a bit together. They were trying out new techniques during their time spent sparring. Since Ram was more confident than her twin, she was trying out some close range magic. And even then, it wasn't normal.

It was physical. Ram started to summon more physical weapons made of ice, and used them to attack Blanc. Blanc could hold them off, but it was still surprising. And the weapons were quite varied, and changed on the go.

Blanc had experienced a normal straight sword, a hammer akin to her own and a greatsword more than twice the size of Ram. When Blanc was on the offensive, Ram had tried out a small, but sturdy shield. Blanc hadn't put in all of her strength, but was surprised by Ram's apparent strength. At longer ranges, she would try out a spiked ball and chain attached to the end of her staff. It could extend and retract, and Ram seemed proficient with it.

Ram turned out to be quite feisty both on and off the battlefield. She was adaptable, quick thinking, and surprising at times. And Blanc was sure that she'd see more, in the near future.

Rom was still sticking to longer ranges, but was also experimenting. Instead of the normal magic, she was also summoning ice weapons. She had tried out a bow and seemed to like it. The bow was made of ice, but Rom could still create arrows of different elements. She could control the length, width and range of arrows, as well as the amount she shot out at once. When Blanc had approached her, Rom had also tried out different defensive magic. She had tried making a field around her, to defend from all sides, or a single, focused piece of ice to block from one direction.

She also seemed to position herself well on the field. She would create ice-traps and objects, as well as try to force Blanc into specific situations while fighting. She was quite sly, Blanc had thought.

They were developing fast. Blanc would also have to experiment, if she was to stay strong for them. As a three Goddess team, and a variety of combat styles and weapons, they would be unstoppable. Blanc was proud of them. But right now, she had to worry about the issue at hand.

The pair. And there were a few questions that stuck with her…

What was special about the boy? Couldn't he have also transformed when that girl, Renna, did? That would have made it much easier for them to escape, according to what she was told.

And why did the girl not transform from the start? Were they just cocky? Did they have that much faith in themselves? Or was there a limiting factor? Maybe her share energy was low. She knew that Rei could still transform after millennia and maintain her form without issue, but perhaps that had died down a bit.

There were no definite answers. They would have to find these through Rei, if possible. She had to get going and wake up the twins.

Of course, she thought all of these things while lying down in her bed. Even Goddesses could feel cold in the morning. She'd have to get up eventually, though.

But it was so warm…

* * *

**Lastation Basilicom:**

It was early morning, and Noire was up, already dressed. The sun was low, casting its warm rays across her nation. She hadn't even started work, by the request of her sister. Uni had just wanted a stress free, relaxing morning.

Noire pondered for a bit. Uni was acting different, lately. She was trying to get closer to Noire. More open. Of course, they did love each other, even though they didn't always openly show it. They were the Lastation sisters, and nothing could stop them. They would take down anything together. They were both smart, quick and strong.

But there was always a small distance between them. Noire was well aware of how she acted towards Uni. She was constantly pushing Uni, forcing her to improve. Noire knew that she was stronger than her little sister, but she didn't hold back when they were both sparring in their transformed state. She knew that she was a bit… violent, in that form, but maybe she would go too far sometimes…

Uni could hold her own, of course. Noire had made sure of that. She would not accept anything less. And Uni could think for herself without direct supervision from Noire. She had a good head on her shoulders, something Noire was grateful for. But she didn't really show it, did she?

She wasn't open with her sister. There was always this awkwardness between them, as if they didn't know what to say to each other. There was always that coldness. Was Uni trying to fix that? They had gotten closer over the past few months, but it was still present. Was Uni taking the initiative? Noire would appreciate that if it was true, but still…

Noire wasn't a very sociable, open person. She would hardly show her true feelings, and would usually keep to herself. She dealt with her own issues herself, working away in a frustrated manner. She could feel it bubbling up inside her, and sometimes she just wanted to explode. She sometimes lied down in her bed thinking about the people she cared for. She thought about many things. Did they even appreciate what Noire did for them? Had she hurt them in any way with those cold words of hers?

Was Uni trying to help her through this? She'd have to have noticed it, they were sisters, and Uni was quite perceptive. She thought to the day before, and how Uni was trying to make herself closer with the other her, and she was successful. They were most likely friends with each other, now. She hoped.

Friends with herself, huh?

Noire suddenly put the pieces together. Uni was trying to make Noire accepting of herself. That… made a surprising amount of sense. Noire was getting teary eyed, she realized. Before Uni could get closer to Noire, Noire would have to get closer to herself.

She would surely warm up to Uni then. She would realize how important Uni truly was, and how she should usually act towards Uni. She'd become friendlier, surely, and they'd appreciate each other's company.

Wow…

Uni really was her precious sister, after all. Uni still loved her for who she was. Noire could jump in joy right now, but she controlled herself. She accepted. She would go through with this plan of Uni's. She'd make it up to her a hundred fold. Noire sat at her desk smiling to herself, caught in her own thoughts… To the point that she hadn't noticed Uni standing in front of her desk.

"Um… sis? Noire?"

"What?! Where?! What's happening?", exclaimed Noire, surprised at the sudden noise. Her body had reacted preemptively, and she was visibly alert.

"Sis… you don't have to be so on guard all the time…"

"I-I'm not on guard! I was just surprised that you suddenly made a noise! Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Uni looked at Noire, her eyes drooping, visibly hurt. Noire instantly felt it. She wished that she could turn back time, or erase it. If she could physically beat that part of herself up, she would have done so now.

"I…I'm sorry, Noire. I should've spoken sooner."

Noire, standing up, leaned over her desk, her hands near the side closest to Uni. "No! No, Uni, it's not your fault! I…I was just a little caught in thought, so I reacted without thinking…"

Uni looked back to Noire, her eyes hopeful.

"I…I'm truly sorry, Uni. Please, forgive me… sis…ter.", spoke Noire. The final word was a little quiet, and was slightly broken and drawn out. Uni still heard it, and became much happier.

Baby steps, Uni. Baby steps. Uni giggled a little.

"W-What's wrong, Uni? I-I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's just funny."

"F-Funny? Shouldn't you feel… sad?"

"No, I'm not. Don't worry about that, sis. It's something else."

"Well, could you tell me what it is… please?"

"Sure."

They looked at each other for a few seconds before Uni smiled at Noire. "You're such a daydreamer, aren't you?"

Noire was caught off guard and pulled herself back a bit, her hand to her chest. Her face was a bit red, too. Her instincts were telling her to fire back, to say something to counter it, and she already had come up with a few things, something that was terrible to admit…

But she controlled herself with difficulty. For her sister to suddenly lighten up and forgive Noire without a second thought... Noire might've teared up if she were alone. And for her to say something so heartfelt, so friendly and warm… It was just so…It was just so nice.

Noire closed her eyes and turned her palm at her chest into a ball. She clenched her fist, took a deep breath in, unclenched her hand into an open palm, and breathed out while opening her eyes. She had to be kinder towards Uni.

"I…I guess I am, aren't I? Hehehe…", said Noire, following up with a quiet laughter that came off as a bit awkward.

Uni beamed at her with a wide smile, not needing to speak. She was rocking back and forth on her feet, bouncing due to the happiness. Noire had an idea. "Uni, are you ready to go?"

"W-What? So soon? We'll be really early, sis."

"I know it's early. But I thought that maybe… we could stop off somewhere along the way… to get something to eat. You know, just sit around for a while…"

"O-Oh…" Uni was happy. Much happier than when she first entered the room. "I wouldn't mind that. I'm ready, so we can go now, if you want."

"Yes! I-I mean, um, yeah, we can go now. We can go.", spoke Noire, as an affirmation for her sister and herself.

And the two sisters of Lastation, the land of Black Regality, made their way out of the Basilicom. They didn't fly, and they didn't get on any sort of transport. They walked together, talking. Spending quality time together. As family.

* * *

**Ultradimension, Virtua Forest, a few hours later:**

A pair of individuals rested together in a forest. They had both just woken up and were getting themselves ready. The ground around them was wet. It had started raining last night, and it had persisted into the early hours of the morning. They had both taken shelter under a tree, and were both mostly dry.

Shaking her head to get some of the wetness out, Renna looked to her brother. "Ya think you can dry us off?"

"Yes. Just give me a few." Seconds later, a small, warm fire was held between the two. The girl was looking at it, watching the way it moved in the boy's hands. After some time, they were both dry and warmed up.

Renna stretched around, getting onto the tips of her toes, and raised her arms to her side. "Nnnngh! It feels so good to stretch in the morning. It takes all the fatigue away." Gil stayed silent, standing around with his usual expression. They had both already eaten, and were about ready to go. "Thanks for patching up my clothes, Gil."

"Don't mention it."

Renna looked at him. "Hey, are you feeling alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

He looked at her with a small smile. "You realize that you still have some flowers in your hair?"

The girl's eyes immediately widened, and she quickly worked away at removing the plants from her hair. Gil made a small laugh. "You could've told me sooner, you know!"

"I know. But you looked like a princess. Sometimes they wear that ring of flowers on their heads, so it was similar."

"You mean a wreath?"

"Yes."

"You know that princesses and people only wear those on special occasions?"

"Yes, I do. But it looks good on you. Besides, isn't it a special occasion?"

"What do you mean?"

Gil's face became stoic again, and his voice became less cheerful. "We're going to be reunited with her after all these years."

Renna looked at Gil meaningfully. "I guess you're right. But what a way to darken the mood there, Gil."

"I'm sorry. But we've been at this for who knows how long. We're so close."

"I knoooow, but we can still appreciate life, can't we?"

"Yes. Yes we can."

"Aaaanywaaaay, what's next?"

"We find her."

"So we'd better get going."

"Yes. You can feel her, so lead the way."

"Will do."

They walked for a while, at a brisk pace. They didn't want to waste energy or attract any attention, so Renna didn't transform. "How're you feeling, though? How's your blood?", asked Renna.

"I'm fine, Renna, there's no need to worry about that."

"But you lose so much each time!"

"No, I don't. You overestimate how much I lost. It isn't usually like that."

"So you DID lose a lot yesterday?!"

"Well… more than usual. If you can call it usual. I truly am fine now. Don't worry."

"Hmmmm… if you say so…"

The siblings worked their way out of the forest, and eventually through the streets of Planeptune. They blended in with the crowd. Sure, a few people eyed Renna's hair, but that was commonplace now.

It was almost as if they were regular people.

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom, Ultradimension, lowest floor:**

The CPUs had all gathered at the bottom of Planeptower, all recovered from the previous day. Each of them shared brief greetings, as not much had happened since yesterday, and as such there wasn't a whole lot to talk about. Both Histoires were there. They would both accompany the group on their meeting with Rei. They started making the plan.

"So, Plutia, can you please find out where Rei is at this time?", asked the smaller fairy.

"Ummmm, yeah, I can do that. I just need to call her. I'll do that now, so give me a few minutes…" She slowly brought up an N-Gear, as Nepgear had supplied this dimensions CPUs with them as well.

There was a ringing for a few seconds. "Hello Rei! How are you?" The group watched in silence, waiting for her to finish.

"That's great to hear! I'm alright too, thank you! Umm, so, anyway… I was wondering if I could visit you for a while! I just wanted to talk… I can? Yaaay! Where are you staying right now?... Ooookay, I might know where that is… Okay, I'll see you in a bit! Oh, oh, wait! I'm also bringing a few of my friends, okay? Is that alright… Okay, thank you!" And with that, the call was over.

"So where is she?", asked Ultra Vert. "Is she out somewhere, or is she at where she lives?"

"She's at where she lives. I have an idea of where it is, so I can guide you all there! Let's goooooo!"

They all made their way out of the Basilicom, following the slow, gentle looking Plutia. Plutia did not know exactly where Rei was, so they took quite a few wrong turns around the city. Everyone was a little annoyed, but they couldn't be that irritated with Plutia. She was just a ditz by nature.

"Okaaay! I THINK this is it!", said Plutia. They could only hope.

They arrived at a small building. It was a regular looking house, with two floors and a small garden. Nothing spectacular or flashy. Just a practical home. A place to live a normal life.

The fourteen of them lined up outside the door with Plutia at the front. It was cramped, and there wasn't much space to move. At least it was better than the elevator.

Plutia knocked on the door three times and heard quick footsteps coming closer. "Plutia! It's nice to… see… you…", said Rei, her face quickly drooping down upon seeing the others. It wasn't normal to see the leaders of multiple nations outside your doorstep. Immediately, Rei felt the pressure.

"Hello, Rei.", greeted the Ultra Vert.

Rei was still shocked. The group of CPUs were poking their heads out from around each other, each trying to look at Rei. "H-Hello… all of you.", said Rei, her voice wavering a bit.

"Hello Reeeeeei!", said Plutia, rushing up to Rei and hugging her. Rei accepted the hug and returned it, but was still looking at the rest of the group.

Ultra Noire crossed her arms. "We're here to ask you a few questions."

"Uh, uh, oh no, what's wrong? I didn't do anything!", she said lowering herself a bit. She even turned Plutia towards the group, who still had on a happy expression, as if nothing was going on.

"We hope that you're right.", said Ultra Blanc.

"May we come inside?", asked the tiny book fairy.

"S-Sure…"

The CPUs all made their way into the living room.

There were three couches arranged in a "U" shape on a large carpet with a table in the middle. In the open area, against the wall opposite to the couches, was a wide cabinet with a television on it. There was a hanging light above the table in the middle. The carpet was white and the couches were a dark grey, along with the table. The floor was wooden with a light brown colour to them.

They each found someplace to sit or stand.

Rei situated herself by the TV, choosing to sit on the floor. On the couch to her left sat both Blancs, each with one of the twins on their laps. Hyper Blanc, who was closer, held Ram, and Ultra Blanc, who was further, held Rom. On the couch on her right sat Plutia, Neptune and Nepgear, in that order. Sitting on the couch opposite her were the two Verts. On the carpet, on either side of the table, sat Uni and Nepgear, on Rei's left and right respectively. Both Noires had decided to stand, with the Hyperdimension version leaning with her back against the couch with Neptune on it, and the Ultradimension version was standing next to the couch with the Verts, on Rei's right side of it.

It was all very intimidating.

"S-So, I-I would offer you all something to drink, b-but I don't think there's enough to go around…", spoke Rei, aiming to start it off. She was still nervous.

"That's fine, we just want to ask you a few questions.", spoke the bigger Histoire.

"We're like detectives and stuff now, you know? We do it all quick and stuff.", spoke Neptune. "But we're, like, super thorough and whatever. A.L. Noire style.", she finished, then looked cheekily at Hyper Noire, who just rolled her eyes.

"O-Okay then…", said Rei. She wondered what this could all be about.

Histoire of Hyperdimension started. "Have you felt anything particularly… strange, lately? Like a change in your energy?"

"N-No, my shares are all still here. Nothing wrong with them. They're not going all dark like that other thing before, I swear!"

"I was about to ask that question, so that answers that. When you were the CPU of Tari in it's prime, were there any CPU Candidates?"

"N-No, there weren't. Why, what happened?"

Histoire decided to inform her. "It seems that we are tracking a pair of individuals with share energy similar, if not the same, as yours. We decided to consult with you, seeing as you were the leader of Tari."

"That's… strange. I can't seem to recall anything like that during that time. At least, not off hand. It was a long time ago. Can you describe them to me?"

"Yes. They are a boy and a girl. Their names are Gil and Renna."

Rei looked at Histoire for a few seconds, trying to think. Her face then suddenly contorted into one full of worry. Her eyes were wide, her mouth was strained, and she held her hands to her head. She started swaying a bit. "I… I think I'm gonna…" She started falling, landing on the carpet beside her. Neptune, being one of the closest, ran up to her and lifted her head. She also gave her a few slaps on the face.

"Ow, ow, ow! I'm okay, I'm okay! I was just a little… shocked.", spoke Rei. She adjusted herself, making sure she was upright and steady. "I… I remember now…"

"Well then, can you tell us about it?", asked the Blanc of Hyperdimension, intrigued. Her counterpart was, too.

"I…I would prefer not to… I tried to forget for so long, but here it is… Back to get me…"

"Just get on with it already.", stated the Noire of Hyperdimension.

"Ahh! O-Okay…" Rei sighed to herself. "Are you all aware of what happened when I was still in the Seven Sages? How we were… taking little children, orphans, and attempting to make them into CPUs?"

Ultra Vert narrowed her eyes. "Yes, we're well aware of that disgusting act."

"Y-Yes, I know it was… bad." Rei shifted a little on the floor. "Are you all aware of what the term "DNA Splicing" refers to?"

Uni put a hand to her chin. "DNA Splicing? I've heard of it, but haven't really researched into it…"

"Please, explain, for those of us who don't know.", suggested the smaller Histoire.

"Okay. In basic terms, you take a piece of DNA out from an organism and put it into another organism. As you all know, I'm sure, DNA is what makes up every organism, even Goddesses. It's like coding but for actual living things. Our flesh and blood. It is unique to each living thing, and holds properties based on what they are."

"I don't like where this is going…", spoke Nepgear. Nobody did.

"W-Well, yes, it's not a… nice story. Let's just say that Peashy isn't the first… artificially made CPU." All of the CPU's were listening intently, allowing Rei to continue. "S-So, back when I was the leader of Tari, in it's glory days, I desired a CPU Candidate. No matter how long I waited or asked, none ever appeared. So I kind of… looked into different ways, of obtaining one."

Rei looked around nervously. "I created a task force and ordered them to kidnap little children from their homes. T-There were also no traces of what happened to them or the parents, so you can imagine what I had to do…"

Everyone was becoming increasingly more disturbed. "I… I had the scientists of that task force research if it was possible to create a CPU. They… tried a lot of things on the children. T-They never ended well…", spoke Rei, slightly crying.

She continued, looking down at the floor. "Eventually, o-one of them had the idea of taking some of my DNA and… inserting it into some of them. N-None of them survived…"

Rei looked up from the floor, her eyes slightly wet. "…except one pair of children. W-We only tried that method on single children each time, s-so we tried to separate the… load, onto two children of the same blood. They weren't twins, but they were close in age. A year or two apart…"

Rei gulped, mentally preparing herself. "I had scientists cut cells off of my… body, and spliced a piece off of it. A piece holding properties of a Goddess, of a CPU. In order to make sure that the two children's bodies could handle the energy, they were both subjected to… extreme aging processes."

Rei went back to looking at the floor. "They then split that piece of myself into two, and they… they found a suitable place to place it in both of their bodies. It w-wasn't a painless procedure…"

Rei placed her arms around herself as if she was trying to find some comfort."We had to wait for a few days… we were getting nothing. We were about to stop, but results started appearing. T-Their bodies DNA had started changing, adapting to mine. B-Both of their hair started to change colour, and one of each of their eyes changed colour… to match mine." She looked up at the Goddesses with her cyan eyes.

"So that's why her hair looked the way it did…", said Noire of Hyperdimension. "Wait, both of their hair?"

"Y-Yes. I have vague memories, but the girl's hair turned the same colour as mine, with her original hair colour visible in some strands. The boy's hair was the opposite. His hair colour remained the same, except that some of his strands started to match mine. T-Together, they made a full… CPU."

There was silence for a few seconds before Rei continued. "We didn't stop there, as much as I hate to admit it. We needed to see them transform, to make sure that they could transform. T-They didn't know how to trigger it, as much as we forced their bodies into doing it. W-We tried to force it through some sort of trauma, or feeling. T-They were already aware of all the other children and parents that we had… disposed of, at that point. W-We kept trying. We d-didn't need the other children anymore, the others that hadn't been experimented on yet, so we… used them, for another purpose."

Some of the Goddesses grimaced, but none of them interrupted Rei. "At first, we tried to do it through other emotions. We stimulated great happiness, loneliness, shame, embarrassment, anything that we thought would help. None of those worked. We were going to… dispose of the others, so we used them to stimulate… sadness, despair. We tortured them in front of those two in many, many ways. Sometimes it was one at a time, sometimes we tried many at once. We… we killed so many in front of them."

Rei looked up again. "We even tortured those two. So, so, so many ways. Each of them separately. Those screams… I don't want to remember! Please, don't make me remember!" She was holding the sides of her head, shaking and shivering from the memories.

"Hold your horses there, cowgirl! Calm down!", spoke Neptune.

"That won't help, Neptune.", spoke the larger fairy.

Plutia had gotten up from her seat to comfort Rei. She hugged Rei, pulling her in close. They stayed like that for a while, with Rei crying all the while. There was an almost visible air in the room. A very depressing, gloomy air.

Rei finally subsided. "T-Thank you, Plutia… We eventually decided to use one of the two… since we were out of… subjects… We took the boy, and we tortured him in front of the girl. We cut him, beat him, bled him, and many, many other disgusting things. They were both screaming their lungs out. We were still getting no results, so we had to get harsher and harsher."

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, despite what was being described. It was not something that they liked to hear, but they had to, to understand. "We almost killed him. We were still not getting results. The girl kept screaming, asking us to stop, to not take her brother away. We brought him within an inch of his life, and still nothing. At the end, we made his heart stop beating, temporarily, with the help of… medication. That is when we got results."

Silence, as Rei paused. "It… It wasn't what we had hoped for. The girl went berserk, massacring anyone she saw. There were no scientists left afterwards… even I barely escaped with my life. I was caught off guard, yes, but she was powerful. Maybe even more so than myself. And she was terrifying. Her eyes… they were just so… dark…"

Neptune stirred at this, looking directly at Rei. She hadn't shared her information on the girl's eyes.

"They were so… empty… as if everything precious to her had been taken away. There was nothing there. Just blackness."

This disturbed everyone, but Neptune more so. She had seen those eyes. But when she saw them, they were still tinged with blue. Why, in Rei's story, were they black? Maybe she just didn't remember right.

"S-She was over me, holding me, and she was covered in blood. The scientists blood, her blood, and her brothers blood. The chemical used to slow down the boy's heartbeat then wore off. He came to, and the girl's attention immediately shifted to him. She dropped me and went to the boy. I…I remember her talking to him for a bit, although he couldn't talk back at the time. I can't remember what she said to him."

Rei sighed to herself once more. "And… she left. She looked at me one last time and left. She didn't say anything to me. She just looked at me. She destroyed parts of the building on her way out. There were… no survivors other than me, due to my CPU abilities."

There was a small pause.

"Is that the end? Is it over?", asked Ram. Both Blancs, at some point during the story, covered both of the twins ears. What they had heard disturbed them greatly.

"Yes... It's over.", spoke Rei, looking tired.

There was nothing anyone could do to lighten the mood. Even Neptune didn't try.

"Thank you, Rei.", spoke the smaller Histoire. "That was very… informative…"

Blanc of Hyperdimension had gotten to her feet. She picked Rei up by her collar, pulling her close. "How could you do such a thing?! How many people do you think lost their lives because of you?!" Blanc was shouting. She was beyond furious. Just thinking about if that happened to her sisters sent her into a fury.

"More than I can count…"

Hyper Vert stood up from the couch. "Blanc, please, calm down! Nothing will be solved like that!"

Ultra Vert crossed her arms. "We are now all aware of these despicable deeds Rei has performed. We knew from the start that she had done many unspeakable acts. She admitted to it after she reformed, and she has given her all to make sure that she never goes back to those ways." Ultra Vert was also furious, but she knew that violence would not solve this. Everyone would have to remain calm and think this through.

What did this mean for them? How would they deal with the pair now?

"I'm not asking for forgiveness… I just want to stay like how I am right now. I don't want to do those things anymore. Please, just let me have that!", spoke Rei, visibly disturbed. Everyone tried to calm down. Blanc sat back down, but was still angry. They all discussed the matter after that, briefly. They all spoke about the same topics.

What would they do? How would they win? How could somebody do these things? What would they do to the pair if they caught them? Were they even able to apprehend them? Rei, although deeply ashamed, tried to answer all their questions as best as she could.

They were all confused now. Those two weren't bad people. They were all so caught up after the telling of the story that they didn't notice the two people walk through the hallway, revealing themselves.

* * *

**Rei's house, just before the explanation started:**

Renna and Gil stood in the middle of a sidewalk.

"Are you sure this is the place?", asked Gil.

"Yes. Yes, I'm one hundred percent sure of it."

"Okay, okay…okay."

"What'll we do when we get in there?"

"We'll confront her. We'll speak with her at first."

"I want to ask her some questions."

"Me too."

They both stood outside the house, looking at it. The street was empty, as most people were either indoors or out doing some sort of work. The house was nothing special. It was normal. Nothing extravagant, flashy, or expensive. It was just a normal home. It was a place to call home.

"It seems like she's changed up her living arrangement standards.", stated Gil.

"Yeah, it's not all menacing and tyrannical looking anymore. Maybe she's changed her ways?"

"Maybe."

They stood out there for a while longer. Neither of them were smiling.

"What happens after we speak with her?", asked Renna.

"You already know the answer. We face her…"

"…And we kill her."

"Yes."

They across a small path leading to a door. "She even has a few pretty flowers outside, Gil. They look nice."

"They do."

Gil silently opened the door which lead into a hallway. They could not see any other rooms of the house from there, and neither could they be seen. But they could hear. "I hear multiple people inside. Come.", ushered Gil.

They quietly made their way through the hallway. There was an opening leading into what looked to be a kitchen and presumably a living room. They both stopped near the edge of the wall and listened. "Gil, I recognize those voices.", whispered Renna.

"Me too." He peaked, barely exposing himself. He spotted the two blonde women, the one black haired girl, and all four brunettes. He quickly ducked back. "They're probably all here. Without a doubt, they're here." They continued to hide behind the wall.

They then heard a voice which caused them to freeze. It was that woman. That monster. Rei Ryghts. Both of them stood there frozen for a few seconds. When they recovered their senses, they heard that she was still talking. "…of what the term "DNA Splicing" refers to?", spoke the monster.

She was speaking about her past. About their past. Their story. The siblings both looked at each other and silently agreed to listen through. It was painful to hear it from her. The genuine sadness and regret she expressed was almost too much to handle for the both of them. She truly did regret it. Tears ran down Renna's face, and Gil's eyes were teary.

They sat there, listening to their past. Straight from the mouth of who caused it.

A few minutes later, when it was over, the two got up. Renna, her eyes still teary, looked to the floor. "She… she sounded sad…"

"Yes. Yes she did."

They paused. There was a bit of commotion. "I'm not asking for forgiveness… I just want to stay like how I am right now. I don't want to do those things anymore. Please, just let me have that!" Rei had just said that. She had sounded like she meant it.

"She sounds like a kind person now.", said Renna.

"I know." They paused again. The commotion had died down, and the group was asking questions now. Rei was answering them as best she could.

"Are you ready, Renna?"

"Yes, Gil. Let's go."

And the two revealed themselves, facing that which made them who they were now.

Rei Ryghts.

* * *

**Present time:**

The pair stood there for a few seconds, staring at Rei. She was still answering questions.

A gasp was heard, and the group looked towards Ultra Vert. They followed where she was looking, and each of their eyes landed upon the pair, with Rei's eyes being the last. Nobody spoke. The group they had encountered before sat there in shock.

Rei looked at them and followed in a similar fashion. "You two…"

Gil looked at Rei with a blank expression. "Hello, Rei."

"It's been years.", spoke Renna. Her voice wasn't her usual happy tone. It was serious.

Rei looked at them for a while. "H-How long have you two been there?"

"For a long time.", answered Gil.

"Enough time to listen to that little story of yours.", said Renna.

Rei looked around nervously before talking. "You two… I know it isn't much… but just know that I'm truly, deeply so-"

"We don't want to hear it, Rei.", spoke Gil.

"We've heard enough. We were going to ask you a few questions, but that story of yours gave us the answers.", said Renna.

"You truly do regret it. We heard that. We understand that.", said Gil.

"You want to forget it all, but you also don't want to forget it, so that you never do it again. You just want to live a normal life now. We heard you loud and clear.", said Renna.

"Th-Thank yo-"

"That doesn't mean it's something easy to forgive. Things like this take time. A long time.", spoke Gil.

"This is something that has changed our lives forever. It takes more than a few seconds to get over it."

The group of CPUs didn't know what was happening. Did they just admit that they understood Rei's pain, and that she wanted to move forward from it, like she's been trying to? Does this mean that they would eventually forgive her? That it was over now?

The group looked much less stressed out. Some of them gripped at their chest, some wiped the sweat off their brows, while others sighed aloud. A few even brandished smiles. Nepgear, in particular, was looking much less anxious. That feeling she had a few nights ago had to do with these two, she was sure of it. She was worried when Rei said that the pair could be even more powerful than her, somebody able to manipulate dimensions and harness massive destructive power.

But to hear that they could possibly forgive Rei in the future… It was admirable. Rei looked down with her eyes closed, then looked at the two. "W-Well I hope that, given enough time, you two will forgive me. Maybe even come back here. I-I'd love to hear about your stories…" Rei had a nervous smile all the while.

"Sure.", spoke Renna.

"A-And I-I know I've said it a thousand times, but I'm truly sorry! I mean that with all I have!"

"We know.", spoke Gil.

Rei's smile widened and became less nervous. She was a lot calmer now. "Well then, what else are you two planning to do?"

"Well, we're done with the questioning part. Guess we just move on to what's next for us.", spoke Gil.

Renna was smiling now, and she looked at the group of CPUs. They were all happy looking. Even the fairies looked happy. Gil, too, gave a small, brief smile to everyone.

"And… what is next, for you two?", asked Rei. She wanted to make sure these two were safe. She wanted them to know that they could come to her for help at any time.

"Oh, nothing really extravagant or flashy…", spoke Renna, now looking at Rei.

Gil still held his small smile. Renna was still smiling.

"…we kill you."

* * *

**Told you so. Much darker, if I have any say in it.**

**Did I catch you at the end? You didn't think that Renna and Gil would just forgive someone who subjected them to all that stuff over just a few minutes, did you?**

**I hope I caught some of you at least, and no, there's no shame if I did! It's all part of the fun!**

**So yeah, there's like, no combat in this chapter, but I hope that the actual plot part of it was enough to keep you on your toes.**

**As always, if you're willing to share your thoughts on this story, I'd greatly appreciate it. Even if it's just one or two words, preferably "It's good" instead of "This sucks".**

**So yes, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will continue to read on from here!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	8. Overwhelming Clash

**Hey, it's me again. ****This is another one of those times where I've come back to a chapter to redo it. My friend gave me some feedback on a particular part of this chapter, and I agreed with him. So I'm back to this one!**

**Judging from the title, you probably know what's going to happen. A big fight.**

**The last chapter was dark, but this one is less so. ****Personally, I don't find descriptive battle sequences and some blood to be that dark, so long as there's no gory stuff. ****But, something else I'm going to say, is... it's a long fight. Very long. I hope that it's come out better this time! ****So buckle up and prepare. Seriously, I do mean it when I say that it's VERY long. **

**Although the time that the fight takes isn't necessarily very long, the description of it is.**

**If that makes sense?**

**And... yeah. I do hope that it doesn't put you off from this chapter. That's probably my greatest fear with this one.**

**Let me know, maybe? I'm always willing to listen to feedback! That's why this second version exists, after all!**

**So yeah! **

**Have fun!**

* * *

**Chapter 7:**

"…we kill you."

These words brought forth a wave of panic throughout the room. The group of CPUs went from being calmer than they were before they entered the house to extremely worried and on guard. They didn't know what would happen next.

Was she being serious? After all the two had said about them understanding Rei, and that she genuinely and wholeheartedly regretted her actions, would they still do this? But… they had never said that they would forgive her. Just that it's not something easy to forgive.

Rei's face had changed from being hopeful and filled with relief, to a terrified expression. She tried backing away, but was only driving herself into a corner.

Renna and Gil started advancing rapidly on the cornered CPU, and since it was a small distance to cover, they would be there within seconds. Plutia and Neptune, being the closest, attempted to intercept the two while the other CPUs followed after them. Plutia stood in front of Gil, and Renna did the same for Neptune.

Gil looked down at the girl in front of him. "Move."

Renna stared at Neptune. "We don't have time for this, Neptune. Move away."

Both siblings stopped to face their obstructers.

"I don't think I caaan doooo thaaaaat.", spoke Plutia.

"No way hose hey!", replied Neptune.

The other CPUs had stopped, wary of the brewing conflict. Both siblings stayed quiet for a second.

"Fine.", said Gil.

"Suit yourself.", said Renna.

Both of them moved swiftly to their obstructers. Renna was looking as if she would punch Neptune, but feinted, lowering her arm while delivering a kick with her left leg, catching Neptune off guard and putting her out of the way.

Gil had quickly reached out for Plutia's neck, and was successful. He was about to move her aside with his right arm, when Plutia's grip on his arm tightened. Despite her diminutive stature, she was quite strong. She was strong before, as well. He noted this. With more force this time, he swung his arm to his left, throwing her onto the couch. This knocked it over, surprising Nepgear and Hyper Noire, who were the closest to it.

This small bout had given Rei enough time to run. She made her way out of the front door, frantically running down the street. The rest of the CPUs attempted to subdue the pair. They tried to each grab a hold onto a limb of each perpetrator, but the boy reacted by encircling the two in a small circle of fire, catching the CPUs off guard, and allowing the pair to follow after Rei.

"Histoires, both of you, get back to the Basilicom! We don't need either of you in danger again!", ordered Hyper Noire. The Histoires nodded and started moving as fast as their little books could. The CPUs then travelled outside and transformed, chasing after the pair.

"Dammit, how do they keep doing this?!", shouted Ultra White Heart.

"Just chase after them and stop slowing yourself down!", responded Ultra Black Heart.

Iris Heart took a wide, sadistic smile. "Hmmmm… I want to test that boy some more…"

Purple Heart looked at her while flying. "Plutia, you mustn't get distracted by your fantasies. We are trying to stop them, not toy with them."

"Oh sweet Neppy, why can't I do both?" The Candidates promptly felt a sudden shiver.

The CPUs weren't far behind, seeing as they immediately gave chase. The pair weren't far behind their target, either. They were about to catch up, and Gil reached out to Rei.

He was brought to the floor by a sudden jerk at his leg. Renna stopped alongside her brother and faced the group. Rei had done the same thing, although she had taken to hiding behind a lamppost, unsuccessfully so. Iris Heart had caught Gil's leg with her whip-sword and was starting to retract it violently, pulling Gil towards her.

Renna jumped into action, chasing after her brother. "Gil!" She quickly jumped at Gil, trying to catch a hold of his hand, but a sudden force threw her away. Hyper White Heart had taken a hold of the back of her shirt and had thrown her in the opposite direction. They were separated.

Gil managed to unhook his foot from the entanglement and get up from the floor. He looked to his sister as she hit the ground. "Renna!"

The CPUs had separated into two groups, encircling both Renna and Gil. "We should take them down quickly, sis, and make sure that they don't try anything.", suggested Nepgear.

Purple Heart nodded at her sister. "I agree. Everyone, we need to work as a group to bring them down, so get ready!"

"I tend to disagree, Neppy…"

"Yeah, I second that."

Two people, one from each group, had walked into each circle. By Renna, it was Hyper White Heart. By Gil, it was Iris Heart.

Ultra Black Heart looked at them both with a confused face. "Plutia! Blanc! What are you doing?!"

"We need to do this together!", added Hyper Green Heart.

Iris Heart put her hands to her hips. "No, I won't. I want to play with this boy here, and teach him some lessons."

White Heart punched her fists together. "I'm going to smash this girls face in, THEN we can take her!"

"Why, you two?", asked Ultra Green Heart.

"Big sis, what're you doing? We need to take them down togetheeeer, you know?", asked Ram.

"Big sis… please… fight with us, at least.", offered Rom.

A simultaneous "No", was heard from both sides.

Iris Heart held her sword to her side. "If you try to interfere with us, you will NOT go unpunished!"

"I am doing this MYSELF and that's FINAL!", shouted White Heart.

Both siblings were up now, and they were listening was all they could do at the moment.

Uni placed a hand to her head. "Ugh, how annoying…"

"Let's just let them have their way for now. We can step in if it gets out of hand.", said Hyper Black Heart.

"Plutie, don't go overboard, okay? Please?", asked Purple Heart.

"No promises~."

They each had their own reasons.

For Blanc, it was her pride as the biggest sister. She was taken down by the two of them, and in front of Rom and Ram no less! She had made both of her sisters feel scared because of her own failings! How could she ever do that?!

She didn't care which one of the two it was, she was itching to have a go at them. She would pummel them this time around! She would pummel Renna into the ground! She would reclaim her pride as the strongest pillar for her sisters!

For Iris Heart, she was just doing her usual thing, although it was a bit different this time. She had never done it to a boy, a proper man. There was that old man that had acted as Blanny's assistant a while ago, but that little piggy was a weak, small, and temporary fun. With the flamboyant robot, he was just no fun at all, what with him threatening to turn off his pain receptors…

But this was a prime opportunity! To face a man, an actual, true man, was something foreign to her. This boy had faced so much hardship, had been through so much! He no doubt was an experienced fighter and traveler, and was most definitely strong. She knew that from when he had grabbed her, and from when they had fought before. And here he was, still as stoic as he usually was.

He wasn't hurt, and neither was the girl, and as such this boy wasn't showing any signs of distress. What a tease. He would be the one to appease her like no one else had done before.

They both thought these things at the same time, eager to start their battle.

* * *

**White Heart vs. Renna:**

Renna slightly shifted her head to one side. "So what's going on now? I'm kinda getting the idea, but whyyyyy exactly do you want this so bad?"

"I want this, because of what you did to me. You made an embarrassment of me in front of my sisters! I will prove to them that I can and I will protect them, forever!", shouted White Heart. Both Ram and Rom had started looking sad now, and they were thinking about trying to calm Blanc down. But they both knew better. They knew that when Blanc was this angry, almost nothing could stop her.

Renna nodded in understanding."Ahhhh, I see now. I kinda get you."

"What? As if you'd know how I feel!", shot back Blanc.

"That's partially true. You have two younger sisters, and they do look really young. I have one younger brother, and he's two years younger, even though we may look the same age. But you already know why that is."

Blanc was looking at her She thought a bit about those words. Now that she had gotten all of the pent up frustration out of her system, she could think clearer. This girl here had witnessed terrible things happen to her brother, and she was powerless until the very end. Of course she knew what that pain felt like. She might even feel it worse… She felt bad for saying that to Renna. But it wasn't enough to dissuade her from the fight.

"Listen, I know you feel. Trust me, I know. But I have to protect him too. So I kinda have to take you down, and the rest of you if I have to. You won't stop me.", said Renna, with a serious tone towards the end.

"Well I can't let you get past me again! I will stop you this time!"

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Blanc then broke that silence. "So… when are you drawing a weapon?"

"Hmm?"

"I want this to be a fair fight, you know. Get your weapon ready if you have one."

"So that's how it goes? No, I don't want to."

Blanc lowered her axe. "Huh, suit yourself." They both made a run at each other.

Blanc made a sideways swipe at Renna, who stopped on one foot and jumped back. Blanc knew that she was slower than the other CPUs, but she would use that to her advantage. She had faith in her defensive capabilities, and would bait in an attack. She would strike then, when Renna was closest.

White Heart swung around, looking for a follow up. Renna had ducked under the axe, lowered herself down, and launched herself with her arms. She had positioned herself in such a way as to launch both soles of her feet into White Heart's chin, lifting both of them off the ground. This also disarmed White Heart. Her axe had fallen away, and even though Blanc had landed on her feet, it was too far to get back by running to it. She had an idea.

Renna dashed towards Blanc as she landed, looking to capitalize on her strike. It seemed that her opponent was on the more durable side. She would have to overwhelm White Heart with her speed. White Heart stood still, letting Renna approach. She lifted her arms above her head, as if she was an executioner, ready to send down her axe.

Renna wondered what this could be about. Would she try to hit her into the floor with such an obvious attack, or was it just a cover up, an attempt to confuse her? White Heart sent her arms down fast, much too soon to hit Renna. Wait, that means she…

White Heart had summoned her axe back to her hands as it was falling, catching Renna off guard. White Heart also made sure to summon it with the blunt side facing her opponent, as she couldn't kill her. Renna realized last minute, and as such could not evade in time. White Heart caught Renna on her shoulder, forcing her to her knees, and eliciting a shout from Renna.

White Heart followed up with a sideways swipe, smashing Renna in her chest and sending her to the edge of the encirclement. Renna was near the feet of Rom and Ram, both transformed, and she was facing upwards. The twins were looking at her. Even though it was the blunt side, Renna was still bleeding from both impacts. Her shirt had red stains on her left shoulder and in the middle of her chest. Just how hard had Blanc hit her?

Renna got up and faced Blanc.

"Hey, why don't you transform, huh? Make this less one sided?!"

Renna held her left shoulder. "I don't want to. It's not necessary."

"Are you sure? I seem to recall something about your "little trick"?" Renna was surprised, and her face took on a shocked expression. "Maybe it's just that you can't under these conditions? Hey, am I right?!", taunted White Heart.

Renna narrowed her eyes, taking a lower stance. "Just shut up and come at me already."

"No need to tell me that!"

They were racing at each other again. With her left arm badly damaged, Renna would go for kicking attacks. She swung her right leg around and caught White Heart in the chest. But she hadn't moved. Rather, Renna's leg couldn't move.

"You seem to like going for kicks, huh?" Renna was, again, surprised. White Heart had a hold on her leg. "I can take a hit, you know? Why don't you try your little magic sleep thing again?" Renna was struggling to remove her leg. It was only slightly budging. "Or do you need your little brother by you to help you, huh?!" With that, White Heart lifted Renna into the air and swung her back down onto the ground. She then dragged her back and repeated the process.

Renna was hurt, badly. She didn't think she could escape now. They would both be taken. She had thought that this fiery-girl was all brawn with no smarts, but it seems like she was observant.

Renna was lying on her back. "You Goddesses are all the same…"

"What? What was that?" White Heart had her axe down, with the blunt side landing on Renna's right shoulder, causing Renna to scream again.

Renna, even more bloody than before, persisted. "You… You all like to feel on top… you knock people down even when they're already on the floor…" White Heart looked at her with narrowed eyes. Renna smiled at her as she spoke. "Now… what does that say about your character?"

White Heart picked Renna up with one hand, her hand covering her mouth. "Shut up. You don't know anything about us. You are both threats, so we have to make sure that you can't do anything else."

White Heart then heard a brief shout coming from the boy. She looked around briefly and noticed that her group had focused their attention to the other pair of fighters. White Heart turned to face them, allowing Renna a clear line of sight.

Renna's eyes widened in shock.

* * *

**Iris Heart vs. Gil, at the same time that the other fight started:**

Iris had one arm crossed while the other was near her face. "So… Gil, was it?"

Gil viewed his opponent. He took note of her weapon, a sword that could change into a whip–like blade. That is what had caught him. He would have to be wary.

"Could you not ignore me? That's just boring…"

"Yes, my name is Gil."

"Ahh, he speaks! Finally. Gil. Can I call you something else?"

"I don't care what you call me."

"Then how about… Gilly?", asked Iris Heart. Gil's eyes furrowed, and he looked much angrier than usual.

"No. Not that. You can't say that.", said Gil, raising his voice a bit.

Iris Heart placed a finger to her lips. "Oh? Does that name have some importance to you? It seems to rile you up, doesn't it, Gilly?"

"I told you to stop."

"Ah…Hahahaha! Well then, I guess that's what I'm calling you, my sweet little Gilly!"

Gil rushed at the CPU, looking much angrier than before.

Iris Heart's smile widened. "Oh, how forward of you…" She spun her whip at him. He had anticipated this, but he could not keep up with how proficient the Goddess was at using the weapon. He took many cuts along his body while making his way to her.

Iris Heart retracted her whip into a sword and cut down at Gil. He moved to his left side and aimed to deliver a blow into the side of his opponent. Iris Heart caught his hand with her right hand, stopping it in it's tracks.

"My, my, precious Gilly. You seem to think irrationally when you're all angry." She begun to squeeze his hand. Both the boy and the girl, who was in the middle of a fight with Blanc, could be heard screaming, although Gil's was more controlled.

"Oh, screaming already! Did you really think you could catch me with that little move of yours?"

"No. I didn't." Gil had swiftly rocketed his arm towards Iris Heart's chest. It impacted, causing her to loosen her grip. He then backed away.

Iris Heart looked at her hand. "And what was with that scream, earlier? Are you less durable than I thought, Gilly? Maybe I should treat that for you…"

The boy wasted no time. He dashed back at Iris Heart, with a look on his face that conveyed pure rage. His eyes were wide open with a focused glare set on Iris Heart, and her alone. His eyebrows were furrowed more than she'd seen before, and his mouth was a thin line on his face. Iris Heart was looking intently, analyzing every detail, and could notice his jaw bones protrude from the bottom of his jaw. This boy was very, very angry.

"And what's got you all riled up, Gilly? Is it that sweet, sweet name of yours?"

"You don't need to know."

Iris Heart threw her whip out at him, barely missing the side of his cheek. She retracted it, aiming to catch him on the way back. He had anticipated this, though. He had noticed that the gaps between the blades were quite wide, and he could catch them in-between. He made to catch it, and was successful, although he cut his hand in the process.

He stopped it and pulled it towards him. This caused Iris Heart to fumble towards him, something he had been hoping for. He ran straight up to her and delivered a powerful right punch to the side of her face. He then spun on his legs, hitting her side with the back of his right foot. Iris Heart still looked to be off balance, and her face was looking downwards. Gil rushed up to her, going for a powerful follow up, and would…

He suddenly stopped, feeling a sharp pain in his left shoulder. Both he and his sister screamed.

Iris Heart had sliced his left shoulder with her sword, piercing his skin, planting it into his shoulder. It was not deep enough to harm any vitals, but it was deep enough to disorientate him and cause a lot of blood to flow out.

"Naughty, naughty…" Iris Heart dragged her blade out. The surrounding CPUs all gasped and exhibited their own objections.

"Plutie!", shouted Purple Heart. "What're you doing?! You're not supposed to kill him!"

"I am NOT killing him!" Iris Heart pointed her blade at Purple Heart. "Don't interfere with me! I'll make sure he lives, don't worry." She looked back at the boy. "I just want to play some more." Her smile widened into an almost mad looking state.

This was bad, and Gil knew that the odds were against him. He couldn't take down this… this Goddess. And the others would come, even if he started winning. He would have to get her off balance again, and try to get to Renna. Then, he could give her…

He wouldn't finish that thought. Iris Heart rushed at him, targeting his weaker side. He couldn't defend himself in time. His neck was then constricted slightly, and he was face to face with the Goddess. "Are you quite done, Gilly? Is that all you have?" Gil struggled with his right arm, trying to loosen her grip on him, to no avail. She wasn't strangling him, but just holding him up in the air. "Just stop it already Gilly. You can't win."

He stopped and looked at her, his left shoulder covered in red. "And just… why should I do that? So that we can be taken captive again? You heard the story."

Iris Heart looked at him, her smile disappearing and her eyes closing slightly. "I know. I heard everything. We all know that already, Gilly." He was visually disturbed by her constant calling of that name. "I know that I've hurt you. A lot. That stab from before was a little… much, seeing as I've been asked by my friends over there to keep you alive. How about you both just come with us? We're not like Rei, as much as you'd like to think otherwise."

He still wasn't struggling. But that didn't mean that he was going to submit. "We won't. Not again." He kicked off of her, managing to break free. He fumbled as he landed, but managed to get up and start running towards Renna.

He hadn't got far when he felt a sudden pain, letting out a brief shout as he fell onto the floor. Iris Heart had cut at the back of his legs, causing him to fall over. The red from his shoulder had started staining the rest of his body.

He raised his head and faced towards where his sister was. He saw her. She was looking at him, her mouth covered.

And her eyes.

Her eyes were becoming dark.

* * *

**Present time:**

Renna looked at Gil with wide eyes. He looked really bad. He had cuts all about him, bleeding constantly. His left shoulder was covered with the stuff. It stained his shirt, and was even visible on his neck. He was still conscious, but looked to be unable to fight.

It was just like before. When they used him. When he was helpless, no matter how hard he fought. No matter how hard she fought. Powerless.

"Gil! GIL! Please speak to me, Gil! Don't go…", shouted Renna, struggling to get loose of White Heart's grip.

Gil was looking at Renna weakly. "I…I'm fine, Renna." He wasn't sure if she heard him.

Iris Heart moved towards Gil and bent down. "You know, I'm sorry about that." She picked him up, and started carrying him.

Despite Iris Heart's previous… actions, she had developed to be quite caring. She had been reprimanded countless times in the past by her friends, and was told that she had gone overboard many a time. She had learned. She was not supposed to always be violent. If she was caring, she could bring them closer, and she could play with them more, and make more friends.

So she decided to heed their calls, and she tried it out. It was working out quite well, and her friends were not scolding her as much now. This, to her, was better. She could still toy with them, and "play" with them, but she would not harm them too much, and they would stay by her more often. It was more fun that way. Although, at times, she would get a little too excited, as seen when she cut into Gil.

"I really am. Just got a little too worked up there. I haven't been able to let loose in a while, you know. Besides…" Iris Heart looked down towards Gil. "…I've never had the opportunity to play with a proper man before."

Gil was too hurt to react properly, and his interests were in other places at the moment.

Renna bit at White Heart's hand and started shouting. "Let him go! Don't touch him! Let him go! LET him go!"

Gil tried speaking, but couldn't talk loud enough. "Renna…"

They were both still very much conscious, but were experiencing a lot of pain.

Renna thrashed about while being pinned down by Hyper White Heart. "GIL! Gil! Gil…!"

Gil managed to lift his left arm. "I'm going to… throw it at you…"

Renna had started clawing at the ground in an attempt to free herself. "Okay! Okay, do it! Please! I need to save you, please, please, just do it, please!"

Gil threw his left arm out at Renna. The blood from his shoulder, seeping down his arm, was thrown towards his sister.

"It's not… adequate."

"It's fine! It's fine!"

"…Don't overdo it."

The CPUs, having gone through a similar situation before, were more prepared this time. They didn't know what would cause Renna to transform, but they had expected it nonetheless.

A few spots of blood landed on Renna's face. "I'm coming, Gil!"

A flash of light, and Blanc no longer had a hold on Renna. With speed comparable to lightning, Renna started making her way towards Iris Heart. She stopped midway, which surprised the CPUs. She turned her body, enough to face behind her.

The whole time… The entire fight… Rei was watching. She had moved out from behind the lamppost. She was there. She was here. Renna stared at her, and Rei could feel the intensity. Rei was quaking in her boots despite the distance between the two.

But that wasn't important to Renna right now. Her brother was. He was in danger. She needed to protect him. She needed him. She continued on her original path, making her way towards Iris Heart and Gil. She proceeded in a similar way to the previous time, getting incredibly close to Iris Heart's face and rising up into the air. "Let him go."

Iris Heart looked back at Renna, smiling smugly. "Why should I?"

"He's my brother."

"And? How precious is he to you?"

"He is my everything."

"Really, now? How can I be so sure? What would you do to get him ba-"

"I would die for him. Please, give him back."

Iris Heart was not easily intimidated. But this girl's eyes… they were a little disturbing, even for her. They were dark, dark blue, a colour which was so close to black that, had she not been this close, she would've mistaken it for the other. But Iris Heart stood her ground. "So let's just say I take him back with me. What would-"

"I would chase you forever and ever and ever." Renna was not smiling.

"Hmmm, your devotion to him is quite fierce. Makes me a bit wild, actually. Are you sure there's nothing going on between you two? Care to… extend that invitation?"

"Don't say that. He's not like that. We're not like that. He's not like that. Give him back to me. I need him back."

"If you say so…"

"Give him back to me."

"Yeah, I know that already, you don't have to repeat that."

"I need him with me."

"Such an obsessive little girl…"

"Can you give him back, please?"

"It seems like I can't, sorry. We need to take you both in, so get back and submit.", said Iris Heart, in a more dominating voice.

Renna stared at Iris Heart, who continued. "And it's not just that. I'm also selfish and obsessive at times. This boy here was my first proper man. He was quite… interesting. That makes him special to me. You know…"

Renna's eyes were wide open. "You didn't do that to him. You couldn't have done that to him. I will stop you."

"Don't worry, it was nothing "bad". He's still pure for you."

"I said he's not like that. He would never do those things. He's above that."

"Take a joke, will you? Geez."

"I need him with me."

"I can't let that happen now."

"So the answer is no?"

"Yes. It's a no."

Renna stared at her, and then at every single other CPU individually, with them observing the situation as they had before. They all still had the feeling that this girl might suddenly make a move, but they couldn't tell when. She eventually turned to Rei. Her eyes rested on Rei for longer than the others.

"Fine."

Renna took a hold of Gil, still in Iris Heart's hands, and gave a solid kick to Iris Heart, sending her back a few meters.

Iris Heart brushed off herself. "That packed a punch, you. What was your name again?"

Renna placed Gil on the floor gently and made a water bed for him. His blood had seeped onto Renna, and it covered parts of her arms. She was gripping at his left hand.

"Renna, was it? Can I call you Renny?"

Renna looked Iris Heart dead in her eyes. Her face exhibited no changes. It wasn't emotionless or threatening, but it definitely wasn't happy. It was only her eyes. They were ominous and had this threatening aura to them. They were menacing.

"No."

In no time at all, Renna had leaped from the ground next to Gil and launched herself towards Iris Heart at an amazing speed, catching everyone off guard. Iris Heart had no idea what to expect, but summoned her sword in anticipation, readying it to strike. Renna's left hand was quickly around Iris Heart's neck, and she violently forced Iris Heart into the ground, making her lie on her back. Renna had made a small crater with the amount of force she applied.

It didn't stop there.

Iris Heart's had barely lifted her head when, not even a split second later, she felt a foot force her face back down. It happened again. And again. And again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again. Over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

Renna eventually stopped herself, and looked at Iris Heart on the floor. She was unconscious. Renna reached down to her abdomen, feeling that there was a slice across her chest. It seemed as though Iris Heart had managed to get that blow off in the small amount of time she was given to retaliate. It was bleeding, and Renna looked at the blooed coating her fingers.

It hurt.

But that didn't matter to her now. Only Gil did. She had to protect him. They were going to take them in, him in. She couldn't allow that to happen. Her pain was insignificant when compared to this.

The CPUs had all readied their weapons, and had surrounded Renna again. "Stop, Renna! Stop this now. Come with us, and we won't have to fight anymore.", spoke Purple Heart.

Renna looked up from her hand, turning to face Purple Heart. She looked at Purple Heart for a moment, who had her sword out in front of her and a serious face. Her eyes darted more downwards, past Purple Heart.

Purple Heart stood in front of where Gil was. Renna could see that he was still lying down, and the water he was resting on was getting red. Renna saw that Rei, who had maneuvered around the circle, was slowly approaching to where Gil was. Rei was behind Purple Heart, and seemed to be apprehensively looking at Gil while advancing.

Renna saw this and her eyes widened. She lowered her stance, launching herself towards Rei. Purple Heart was in the way, and she would stop Renna. Purple Heart sidestepped the flying CPU and hit Renna in the back with the hilt of her sword, sending her towards the ground. Renna hit the ground, but recovered quickly, still advancing towards Gil.

"Stop, Renna!", spoke Purple Heart, who grabbed Renna from behind. Renna struggled with her arms to escape, and Purple Heart was having some issues with keeping her in her grip. Hyper Black Heart had rushed in front of Renna, placing the edge of her sword at Renna's neck. "Stop struggling, now. Unless you want this to continue.", threatened Hyper Black Heart.

Renna stopped struggling and looked at Hyper Black Heart. "You're saying that you will all try to stop me so long as I keep going?" Her eyes still wide. She had started to look more threatening than before.

Hyper Black Heart narrowed her eyes, maintaining her stance. "Yes. And we will stop you." They were all trying to stop her, thought Renna. They were keeping her from Gil. She had to help him. She had to get to him, now that Iris Heart was dealt with.

Renna looked at the white haired girl in front of her. This was the one that had hurt Gil before. When they had escaped after fighting in the Basilicom. This was the one who had struck him down twice. She had lowered him to the ground. The one that they had spoken a few days ago. Raven. She had to pay.

Renna still wasn't moving, and her head looked beyond the girl in front of her. From what Renna saw out of the corners of her eyes, other people were approaching. Probably to subdue her. She could not allow that.

She raised her legs and kicked at Black Heart, which also allowed her to break free from Purple Heart's grasp. She jumped through the air, landing on the ground, in the middle of the encirclement.

If she was to get to Gil, she would have to take care of these other CPUs. She knew exactly what she had to do. She'd have to fight them. All of them. Even if she was hurt in the process. It wouldn't matter. As long as he was safe.

Renna stood up straight, still in the middle of the circle. Some of the CPUs were closer to Purple Heart since they were approaching Renna while she was subdued. As such, the parts of the circle to Renna's sides and back had less people present. More vulnerable people.

Renna then started smiling. She lowered down and braced her fists. She had similar gloves to the other CPUs, so they were quite sharp. She quickly turned around, aiming to single out the person who was the easiest to fight one on one, since they would be the furthest away from the other CPUs. She leapt forwards and saw that she was heading straight for Hyper Green Heart. The rest of the group saw this and could only look on as they gave chase.

Hyper Green Heart was prepared for Renna's approach, and readied a magic spell. Many spears shot out at Renna, who had started running quickly. She deftly sped between a dozen spears. They shot past her, and they sometimes cut at Renna's body. As Renna spun around the last spear, she faced forward to see that her opponent was already swinging their spear at her face.

Renna could not dodge out of the way, and so she was struck across her face with the blunt side of the spear, which caused her to spin around on her feet. But Renna had a plan. As Renna spun around, Hyper Green Heart took note of her.

Although she had some blood flowing from a cut above her left eye, Renna was still smiling. In fact, she was smiling so much that some of her teeth were showing. And her teeth... Or her canines, at least... They were unnaturally sharp. They still looked human-like, but definitely sharper and longer than most people's.

Renna, who was at the end of her spinning, had used the momentum granted by Green Heart's sudden strike to her advantage. She threw her left hand towards Green Heart as she faced her again, which caught the green haired CPU off guard. Most people would back away or fall to that blow, but instead, Renna had used it to allow herself to send a quick strike.

It was... effective. But so... unlike anything Green Heart had seen before. And so, Green Heart could not defend herself from what happened next. Renna grabbed Green Heart's face and forced it to the floor. Renna then ran across the floor, dragging Hyper Green Heart along with her. As she did, she would repeatedly hit Green Heart's head against the floor, which Renna could see was causing much pain.

Hyper Green Heart eventually grabbed a hold of Renna's hand and pulled her downwards, causing Renna to stumble over and fall to the ground. They both got to their feet, but Green Heart made the first move. She thrust her spear towards Renna and stabbed into her left leg from behind.

Renna seemed to recoil in pain, getting onto her left knee while holding herself up with her right arm. But Green Heart heard no scream. Instead, Renna scraped her hand across the ground as she spun to face her opponent, and managed to uplift small pieces of the road to throw at Vert.

Green Heart closed her eyes to stop the small bits of rubble from blinding her, and as she opened her eyes, Renna tackled her to the ground. Green Heart looked towards the other CPUs who were flying towards them. But even then, they were still a distance away. And since Green Heart and Renna were in close combat, none of them could support from afar, in fear that they would hit Vert instead.

Green Heart returned her attention to Renna. Renna, who was on top of Hyper Green Heart, tried to grab her throat with her right hand. Green Heart grabbed the hand, stopping Renna.

Renna then decided to force her grabbed hand to the floor, effectively pinning both Green Heart and her own hand down beside Green Heart's head. Renna thrust her left hand at Green Heart's neck this time, who again caught it. Renna repeated the pinning process. Green Heart was now defenseless.

Renna raised her head and then rocketed it down towards Hyper Green Heart's own head. She made contact, headbutting Vert, who was dazed by this. Renna did this again. And again. And again. Renna's head started to bleed because of this. Renna felt the grip on her arms lighten and started to strangle Hyper Green Heart, who could not stop her.

Just a little longer...

Renna was suddenly struck from behind, and then grabbed, thrown into the air. She felt another strike to her back as she flew, and plummeted towards the floor. She then felt a blunt impact on her chest and felt the air escape her lungs. She looked up to see white hair and a greatsword above her.

Hyper Black Heart was standing with her foot to Renna's chest and her blade close to Renna's neck. Black Heart looked like she was about to speak, but Renna grabbed for the greatsword, wanting to push it out of the way. Black Heart applied more pressure onto the sword, lowering it down. Renna was grabbing onto the sharp parts of the blade, so her hands were being cut in the process.

Renna then let go and moved her head to the side, letting the sword pierce the ground next to her. She rolled to her left, escaping Black Heart's hold on her. If Renna was to cause any serious damage, she would have to fight these CPUs one on one. She would have to grab them, drag them away, and finish them off quickly before the others could help.

And even then, there were priority targets. The ranged enemies. That other white haired girl with the gun, the short pink haired girl, and the short blue haired girl. Renna frantically looked around herself while backing away from the closer CPUs and could see that two of her targets seemed to be trying to heal Hyper Green Heart.

The twins. Her next targets. She flew towards them both, out of reach from the other CPUs. Rom looked up just in time to see Renna approaching them both, and created an ice shield around herself, Ram, and Hyper Green Heart. Renna struck at the shield, causing it to crack. She struck again, and again, and again, until it shattered.

Renna grabbed onto both of the twins' necks, raising them up into the air. Before the other CPUs could approach Renna from behind, Renna flew off in the direction of Gil in order to creat more distance. All the while, Ram and Rom tried desperately to break free from Renna's grasp, to no avail.

Renna stopped and threw Ram down to the ground, stepping on her with her right foot. She then placed a hand over Rom's face, and after a few seconds of struggle, Rom went limp, put to sleep. Renna could feel Ram beating at her leg, and she looked at her. This one was not physically strong. Renna lowered to the floor, grabbed Ram's arms, and pinned them both above Ram's head. She then stared at Ram for a moment before putting her to sleep.

Renna faced the approaching CPUs, and once again, Hyper Black Heart was the one who would attack first. Black Heart swung at Renna from the left, and Renna caught the blade, again causing her hands to bleed. They both struggled while pushing at each other. Renna then pushed the sword back and ducked under the strike, looking to grab at Black Heart's neck.

Black Heart managed to block this attack, deflecting Renna's hands, and again swiped at Renna. This made contact, cutting at Renna's chest. Renna was sent a small distance across the ground, and frantically readied herself for another attack. Renna saw that Hyper Black Heart was jumping at her with her sword raised, and sidestepped out of the way.

Renna was going to grab Black Heart's right arm from behind, but was taken by surprise when she saw the elbow of that arm rocket towards her head. Renna was slightly dazed at this attack. Black Heart once again attacked, backhanding Renna across the face, which caused Renna to spin around on her feet. Renna was going to do the same attack she had done to Hyper Green Heart. She was going to use the momentum gained from the blow, as well as the surprise factor, to attack this opponent.

But Black Heart managed to block in time, and smacked Renna across the face with the blunt of her sword. This sent Renna spinning while travelling backwards. Black Heart capitalized on this, looking to follow up. But Renna was going to use that same strategy again.

Instead of going for a grab attack, this time, Renna used the momentum to throw a kick out at Black Heart, which made contact with Black Heart's chest. As it did, Black Heart thought about what had just happened...

She was clearly winning the fight, anticipating Renna's moves and countering them. Although not flawless, she still had the upper hand. But even then, Renna did not stop. Even when she was truck, was hurt, she had used these painful moments to the fullest. Renna fought... viciously. Violently. Even though Renna did not look like one, and had a proper, upright stance, she was almost like an animal, an untamed beast who was putting everything on the line, using anything they had to win. She was... tough, and durable. Even with all the blows she had taken.

Hyper Black Heart flew through the air, having the wind knocked out of her. Renna flew towards her and grabbed her neck. She was heading towards the side of a building. Renna spun while in the air and threw Black Heart against the building with such force that the surrounding windows shattered and the building itself caved in slightly.

Black Heart recovered, dodging just in time to see Renna thrust a hand next to her face, piercing into the metal with her sharp gloves. Black Heart then cut at Renna's right arm and followed this up with another hit with the blunt side of her sword, sending Renna away. Renna recovered and rocketed straight for Black Heart's stomach at breakneck speeds, even though Black Heart had thrust her sword at Renna, cutting the cyan haired CPU across the left side of her body.

Renna reached up to Black Heart's neck and started flying up the building, holding Black Heart to the side of it, scraping against it and continuously causing it to concave in the wake of the attack.

They both flew over the top of the building, and Renna threw Black Heart to the platform on top of it. Black Heart looked up and saw that Renna was, once again, rocketing towards her. Black Heart sent out a sideways kick, catching Renna on the right side of her face. Black Heart then sent out a wave of energy towards Renna while rushing towards her. Renna was sent backwards from the energy attack and landed on the floor of the platform.

Black Heart then front flipped into the air, and was going to strike from above, when Renna shot out darkness at Black Heart from her hands. This darkness traveled fast, and since Black Heart was already fully committed to her attack, she couldn't evade it. The darkness wrapped itself around Black Heart's eyes, blinding her. She struggled to tear it off from herself.

But she found that Renna had grabbed her hands and threw Black Heart down to the top of the building again. Renna then landed on Black Heart, repeatedly punching down at Black Heart's face. Her opponent held her hands out above her, trying to protect herself from the barrage to no avail.

Renna broke through and struck Black Heart in the face until she stopped resisting. Renna, who was still on top of Black Heart, looked up to see another Green Heart quickly rushing towards her. Ultra Green Heart had quickly flown to the top in hopes of helping Hyper Black Heart, but was too late. "You...!", exclaimed the remaining Green Heart as she thrust her spear at Renna.

Renna ran at Green Heart, evading the thrust. But Green Heart had already prepared her Sylhet Spear, which was heading towards Renna. It made contact, striking at Renna's stomach, sending her through the air. She fell downwards off the building, heading straight to the ground where the other CPUs were. Just before she hit it, she stopped herself in mid air.

She looked forward and saw that both White Hearts were approaching her. They both swung at Renna with their axes one after another, causing Renna to stay on the defensive without having a chance to counterattack. One of them jumped into the air, striking down at the ground. Renna jumped, but ice spurted from the ground, piercing into her arms and legs.

Once again, Renna recoiled in pain, but did not scream.

The next White Heart, the Ultra one, had jumped into the air and shot out ice magic at Renna. Renna remembered that her water did well to stop these icicles, and so threw a shield of water out in front of her as protection. As the water cleared, Renna saw that Ultra White Heart had followed through, swinging at Renna with her axe. Renna was caught at her left side, sending her tumbling through the air.

Hyper White Heart had flown towards the disorientated Renna and grabbed her head from behind. She then spun in the air, throwing Renna to the ground. Renna held her arms out in front of her, slightly stopping her impact. She was on her right knee, looking upwards. She was in a lot of pain and was tired. She was not smiling anymore.

But she had to keep going...!

She looked towards the two White Hearts that were rushing at her from above... When she felt a few impacts to her back and right side. She tried moving but found that it was very difficult. Uni, from a distance, had shot out a few paralyzing bullets at Renna, all of which made contact.

"Nice shots, Uni!", complimented Nepgear.

"Keep your focus on the enemy, Nepgear.", replied Uni. "But thanks."

Renna turned her head to look at Uni from afar, seeing that she was ready to shoot again. This is what Gil had felt like before. This paralysis... Renna knew who her next target was.

She looked up at the White Hearts, who were readying another strike. Just as Renna recovered, she dodged backwards and flew towards Uni. Uni saw this, and prepared herself.

"Nepgear…!"

"On it!"

Nepgear flew towards Renna, looking to stop her advances and give Uni another opening. She fired a few shots of her blaster at Renna, and Renna dodged through them. When they were close enough, Nepgear initiated her Mirage Dance, causing her to swipe down from her upper right side...

...But could not continue it. Instead, Renna had dodged the first swing and planted her right foot on the weapon, pinning it to the ground. Nepgear could not get her weapon free, and looked up at Renna in apprehensive anticipation. She would be grabbed by the neck, since Renna seemed to go for the neck a lot... Is what Nepgear thought. But instead, Renna stared at Nepgear while pinning her weapon down.

She was not smiling. "You... helped Gil. Before. Get out of the way."

"W-What?", said Nepgear, very confused.

"Get out of the way."

"N-No. I can't do that!"

Before they could continue, Renna saw that Purple Heart was approaching her from the right, along with the other Black Heart. Renna shot off at them, leaving Nepgear stunned from what had just happened. Purple Heart raised her sword to the right side of her head and initiated with a thrust attack. Renna moved to her right, but saw that Purple Heart was going to swing at her from that thrusting attack. Renna had to bend backwards, narrowly viewing the blade pass over her head as she fell to the floor and rolled to safety.

Ultra Black Heart had coated her blade in glowing energy, jumped into the air, and shot a wave of energy at Renna. Renna, still on the floor, once again had to roll to safety. She looked up to see that Black Heart was still going to attack, and was plummeting towards Renna. As Black Hear lowered her sword to Renna's head, Renna caught it. They both trembled, trying to overpower one another.

Black Heart then coated her weapon with fire, which burnt at Renna's hands. Renna recoiled her head back, opening her mouth as if she was to scream, but instead glared back at Black Heart with furrowed brows and a determined, almost vicious, smile. Renna coated her own hands with water, which helped to combat the fire.

Black Heart then raised her sword up, which caused Renna to lose her balance and fall forwards, although still upright. Black Heart spun around while moving backwards, and held her greatsword to her left while preparing an attack. "Fall!", shouted Black Heart, beginning her swing.

But Renna dropped onto her hands and spread her fingers out. Water erupted from the ground, shooting up in pillars. One of which was going to hit Black Heart from below. Black Heart didn't anticipate this, and couldn't move out of the way.

But Purple Heart had an opportunity to intercept Black Heart, tackling her to the floor and out of the way of the attack. Renna stayed in her position, with her hands keeping her upright breathing heavily. Purple Heart and Ultra Black Heart got up from their position, looking at each other while slowly standing up.

"I-I had that!", exclaimed Ultra Black Heart.

"I know. But this was safer.", replied Purple Heart, retaining her cool demeanor. "We can't risk her singling us out."

"Yeah, I guess. Thanks."

Purple Heart smiled at Ultra Black Heart, and then looked to Renna while getting into her stance. "I'll lead the attack, you follow up from me. Try to go from the sides."

"Hmm, good idea.", said Black Heart, who also readied herself into a stance. They shot out towards Renna, who had slowly gotten to her feet. She saw that Purple Heart was flying towards her with her hand pointing to Renna. Renna saw that a few blue blades formed around Purple Heart, and they shot out at Renna. She tried to dodge them, moving backwards all the while, but could not evade them all. Some of them cut at her legs, her sides, her arms. Her chest, her face, her shoulders. And they were painful.

Purple Heart could see that Renna would not stop, and instead was looking much more determined than before, albeit much more battered. Renna saw that Black Heart had rushed to her right side, and would swipe at Renna. Renna shot out a ball of darkness at Black Heart. Still able to react, Black Heart batted the magic away, and would thrust at Renna.

Renna barely dodged the thrust by jumping above it and landing on the sword, keeping it to the ground. Purple Heart struck at Renna's left shoulder, but Renna was able to catch the blade in her left hand. Renna was now attempting to hold both weapons away from her, and it wasn't easy.

Water started to erupt from the ground, and both Purple Heart and Black Heart jumped away, avoiding the attacks. Renna was going to fly towards Ultra Black Heart, but found that she was, once again, grabbed from behind and thrown to the ground. Hyper White heart had grabbed Renna's right shoulder and used it to throw Renna a distance away.

Renna rolled across the ground and looked up just in time to see Ultra White Heart in the air, flying towards her while spinning vertically with her axe out like a sawblade. Renna swiped upwards, sending a stream of water towards Ultra White Heart. It hit, causing her to slow down her approach. Ultra White Heart stopped her spinning and looked at Renna just in time to see that she was in the air right in front of her with her left hand pulling back for a punch.

Hyper White Heart managed to intercept her, smacking Renna down to the ground again. Renna got up, seeing that both White Heart's were above her, when she felt another shot to her back and left side. It was that white haired girl with the gun, again finding an opening! Renna had to deal with her after she recovered from this paralysis. Renna could see that Purple Heart and Ultra Black Heart were still far enough away to not protect Uni. It was only that other pink haired girl.

The White Hearts landed on either side of Renna, who barely managed to move in time. She jumped forward and shot out a wave of water towards both White Hearts. This would cause them to evade and hopefully not immediately follow Renna. Renna flew towards Uni, seeing that Nepgear was still protecting her, but stopped after feeling a piercing sensation in her right leg. Renna turned her head to see the other Green Heart behind her, her spear having stabbed into Renna's right calf.

"Forgot about me, did you?", taunted Ultra Green Heart. Renna spun around to swipe at the enemy, but was dodged and stabbed in her left leg. Green Heart then smacked Renna across the face with her spear, making Renna fall to a knee and turn her face away. Green Heart gracefully spun her spear around herself and ended up with the tip of it to Renna's neck.

Green Heart looked to Nepgear and Uni, who were grateful for her interception. Green heart smiled at them, and then returned her face to Renna while holding her stance. "You are beaten, Renna. Give up."

Renna was still looking away, and Green Heart could see the blood on her face. From above her left eye, her forehead, and her left cheek. She was panting heavily, clearly tired. "Stop... chasing...", said Renna, in between breaths.

Green Heart continued to stare at her. "What was that?" Green Heart pushed her spear closer to Renna.

Renna looked at Green Heart with an incredibly intense glare. Her eyes were still dark blue, almost black, and they were angled at Green Heart. Her features gave off pure rage. She grit her teeth together, and her teeth were visible. Renna clasped her hands together into fists, and grabbed at the pole of Ultra Green Heart's spear. She pulled it towards herself, making it cut into her left side.

Green Heart, pulled towards Renna, stumbled forwards. Renna stood up and pulled her head back, headbutting Green Heart when they were close enough. Green Heart placed her left hand to her head as she fumbled backwards, and Renna shot out darkness at her.

This time, Green Heart was prepared for such an attack. She sliced at the darkness, hitting it away. Or so she thought. The darkness wrapped itself around the spear, coiling onto the shaft of it. Renna had a hold on the other end with her right hand, almost like it was a whip. Renna pulled back, causing Green Heart to again stumble grabbed at Green Heart's face and fell to the floor, smashing Green Heart's head against the hard material. Green Heart had managed to get her spear free, and she stabbed it into Renna's left shoulder.

This time, Renna let out a scream of pain. Purple Heart, Ultra Black Heart and both White Heart's, who were all flying to assist Ultra Green Heart, could hear this. Uni and Nepgear, who were standing back, could also hear this. It was a shout of pain, but it was mostly covered by anger. As if continuing caused excruciating pain, but the sheer anger that Renna felt kept her going.

Renna looked back down at Green Heart and grabbed her spear with her left hand, coiling her hand around it to render it unusable. She punched at Green Heart's stomach with her free hand. She grabbed her neck and shoved the green haired CPU's head against the floor again before headbutting her multiple times. She took the spear free and threw it away. She then raised both of her hands in the air and joined them together in fists, pummeling them into Green Heart's body.

Green Heart, undergoing much pain, kneed Renna in her stomach, causing Renna to stop her assault. She threw Renna off of her and summoned back her spear while getting up. She thrust her spear towards Renna, who spun around it as it cut at her sides and stomach. Renna, using this opening, smacked Green Heart at the right side of her head, just under her ear, with such force that she flew a small distance away.

Nepgear and Uni flew to her as the other CPUs went after Renna. The two Candidates landed by Vert, and although she was still awake, she was in a bad shape. She was probably out of the fight.

Uni looked at Vert with a bewildered expression. "How... How can she do this?! The others were able to injure her a lot, and yet she's still going! Noire was on even grounds... No, she was winning against her while they were fighting! How..."

"I... I don't know. I have a possible explanation.", replied Nepgear, looking towards Renna.

"A-And what is that?"

"She... She only has one goal in mind. And that goal is something that she'd give her life for."

"Y-You mean... with protecting that boy?"

"It's a possibility. And the longer and more desperate she gets while trying to protect him..."

"...the more violent and vicious she gets while fighting.", finished Uni.

"Something like that. It's not that she's stronger than the others, it's that she's putting more on the line."

"And since he's pretty badly damaged..."

"...She's putting a lot into her fights.", said Nepgear.

"Great. But she's still badly hurt!"

"That's probably her wanting to go on so bad, regardless of how much pain she's feeling."

"So she doesn't care about how hurt she gets, as long as she keeps her brother safe?"

"I think. It's not definite, and it's not the best explanation, but this is all I could come up with in such a short space of time."

"I think you're probably right, though.", ended Uni, and they both looked to the fight.

Renna was facing the other CPUs who were approaching her. She furrowed her brows and bit at her bottom lip as they approached, but they stopped midway, still holding their weapons out.

Purple Heart held her sword out in her signature pose, with it pointing at Renna. Ultra Black Heart held her greatsword with her right hand, holding it out to her side. Hyper White Heart had her axe resting on her right shoulder and her left arm at her hip. Ultra White Heart held her weapon with both hands, with the head of the axe on her left side.

"You can't win this, Renna. Stop this fighting.", said Purple Heart.

"You are not stronger than us. You may have singled some of us out, but that won't happen again.", followed up Ultra Black Heart.

"I... don't care if I'm stronger... or not stronger!", shouted Renna, panting. "I... will win... because I must! I will... not let you... take us! Take him!"

"She's still got that whole idea that we'll torture them or something.", said Ultra White Heart.

"How annoying. Just give up already, dammit!", shouted Hyper White Heart.

"I... can...not... do that! Get out... of my way!", shouted Renna, with visible anger. She was breathing heavily, and she was bloody and battered throughout her body. Cuts covered her sides, her arms, and her chest. The cut above her eye and cheek had stained the left side of her face.

She had small piercings on her arms from when she was stabbed by the ice, and although they did not stab too deeply, they were still painful. The times that she was stabbed in her legs by both Green Heart's were still weighing on her, and the other times that she was hit by blunt strikes still hurt. She looked exhausted, out of breath, and at her limits. And yet, she still stood upright, with heavy breaths. And yet, she would still fight.

All for Gil.

"Geez, she's so persistent.", said Ultra Black Heart.

"Then we'll just have to beat that out of her!", exclaimed Hyper White Heart, who rushed forward.

Ultra White Heart quickly followed her counterpart. "Don't have to ask me twice!"

Purple Heart reached out with a hand as they flew off. "Wait, you two!"

"We can't stop them. We can only support them.", said Ultra black Heart.

"Then let's go."

"You will... not stop me!", screamed Renna, who shouted so loud that her body shook from it. She readied herself, holding her hands to her sides, and lowered her stance.

Hyper White Heart was the closest, and held her axe behind her, preparing to cut down at Renna. Renna threw out a shield of water, much like before. White Heart smirked at this, knowing how to handle it. She simply charged straight through the water, since it wouldn't hurt her.

Renna had other plans. As she had thrown out the water, she had reached down into the ground and managed to pierce straight into the road below her. She had a grip on the hard material.

As Hyper White Heart splashed through the sheet of water, Renna, with great effort and a shout to accompany it, uplifted a piece of road, making it smack against Hyper White Heart, hitting her face, her chest, arms and legs. Renna then stepped back and, with another shout, punched into the upheaved road with her left hand, sending it across the ground at great speed. It was heading for the other CPUs.

Ultra White Heart had avoided the attack and seemed to be readying icicles to shoot at Renna. Renna saw this and shot out a stream of water to envelope the icicles, stopping them. Ultra White Heart landed on the floor right in front of Renna, and was going to swipe at her, but Renna had shot out more water, forming a platform that Ultra White Heart stood on. Renna pulled back, causing her foe to slip and fall.

Renna then took this opportunity to pick up Hyper White Heart, who was still recovering from the previous attack, and hold her by her arms. Renna jumped into the air, spun around to add extra force, and slammed Hyper White Heart down onto Ultra White Heart, which caused them to both shout in pain.

Renna looked up to see the two other assailants close by. She wanted to deal with them later. She stood upright and held both of her hands out. She then shot out a constant stream of darkness. Purple Heart and Ultra Black Heart did as best they could to deflect the magic attack, but were eventually blinded by darkness that had wrapped itself around their eyes.

Renna panted, looking down at the two White Hearts. She grabbed the Hyper one and slowly walked backwards, dragging her with her. Hyper White Heart kicked out at Renna constantly and summoned her axe back. But before she could strike, Renna had lifted her up into the air. Renna then slammed Hyper White Heart into the ground, as White Heart had done to her when they fought one on one. She did this multiple times and then let go of White Heart while she was lying on the ground.

Renna kicked Hyper White Heart over onto her back, and Hyper White Heart looked up in time to see Renna stomp down onto her stomach with her right leg. White Heart held onto Renna's leg while trying to pry her off. Renna then fell onto White Heart with her knee, knocking the wind out of White Heart. Renna lowered herself to look at her, and she started strangling her with her right hand.

White Heart held onto the hand as it constricted her neck, and she had begun to raise it. In response, Renna punched White Heart in the face with great force multiple times. This stopped White Heart's resistance and made her go limp.

Renna stood up and, with determination and anger, screamed into the air with her arms at her side. She couldn't stop. Not yet. Even if her body broke. She would go on. She had to.

Renna turned to see Ultra White Heart, her face also filled with anger, flying towards her. Renna attempted to catch an incoming attack, but could not hold it. The axe broke through, cutting at Renna's side, under her ribs. She was sent through the air, and she saw that Ultra Black Heart had decided to join in.

Renna stopped herself as she rolled across the ground, grabbing at the ground with her gloves, scraping into it. Black Heart shot out an energy wave at Renna, and Renna had to jump to her right to avoid it. Black Heart, following through, kicked at Renna so that she, again, rolled across the ground.

Renna slowly got up and looked around her to see that the remaining White Heart was approaching her from behind and that the remaining Black Heart was rushing at her from the front. Black Heart would thrust at Renna's stomach, and White Heart would go for a sideways swipe.

As they both got close, Renna jumped into the air and, with great reflexes and maneuverability, positioned her attack in such a way that she was able to punch Black Heart in the face with her left hand and kick White Heart in the stomach with her left leg simultaneously. They were both sent stumbling, and Renna landed on the ground. Renna then shot out her darkness at them, grabbing at their legs. She lifted them up off the ground and spun them around herself, stopping Purple Heart's advance.

Purple couldn't fly through this without being struck by either Ultra Black Heart or Ultra White Heart. Then, Renna stopped them and raised them higher, spinning around and making the darkness she was holding onto coil together, bringing the two CPUs close together. She slammed them to the floor, causing them to smash into each other with enough force to render them unable to get up.

Renna's legs gave in, and she almost fell to the floor, But she, again, screamed into the air, showing off her determination and drive to keep going, even if her bones were broken, even if her limbs were snapped, and even if her body gave in.

She would still fight!

She heard shots and fell to the floor to avoid them. While lying down, she looked over to the cause, spotting Uni. With a new target, Renna smiled like a madwoman and flew towards Uni. Purple Heart flew in the way, intercepting Renna in her path.

"Enough is enough, Renna! Don't let this continue! We can help you! We don't have to fight!", shouted Purple Heart, in a last ditch effort to stop Renna.

"Stop trying to stop ME!", screamed Renna.

Purple Heart sighed in frustration and brought her sword back for one, final strike. If Renna was going to go through with this, if Renna was going to attack her, then Purple Heart would end it here. She would slice at Renna's chest, push her back, and then knock her unconscious with the hilt of her sword. This is what Purple Heart had decided.

Renna was quickly approaching the Planeptune CPU. Purple Heart closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them in intense concentration. She swiped from her left side to her right. It would strike Renna first, before she could attack. She initiated the swing...

But Renna... wasn't going to attack. She flew past Purple Heart, not bothering to attack her. She looked at Purple Heart as she passed her with those dark eyes of hers.

"W-What?!", exclaimed Uni, who prepared more shots.

"I'll stop her!", said Nepgear.

Renna had elevated herself slightly and was angling downwards at Uni, readying a punch. Nepgear jumped in front of Uni, and lifted her sword to shoot out energy beams at Renna. Renna then stopped her punch and took a less angry face. It was like it was before... not necessarily angry, but not emotionless. She grabbed a hold of Nepgear's sword with her left hand and shoved it aside in time to avoid the energy blasts. She then held onto Nepgear's shoulder with her right hand and pushed her out of the way.

Renna landed on the ground and looked at Uni with a vicious smile. Uni shot at her multiple times with energy blasts, and they all hit. Renna seemed to feel the impacts, but kept advancing quickly. When Renna was close enough, she ripped the gun out of Uni's hands and threw it to the ground, snapping it in half with her left leg.

She then punched Uni in the stomach repeatedly. It wasn't very fast, but the force behind each of them was enough to disorientate Uni. Renna then punched at the side of Uni's head and spun around to kick her down to the floor. She then landed on Uni's back with a knee and slammed Uni's face against the ground once.

Renna stayed with her hands to Uni's head for a moment before looking up and letting out another scream.

She was... almost done...

She had to go to her brother... now...

She had... to... help him...

She was breathing incredibly heavily. She stood up and turned around. Purple Heart and Nepgear, who were surprised that neither of them were attacked, were ready to fight.

They saw Renna standing before them...

Her hands were limp at her side. Her chest moved slowly, up and down, taking in long, deep breaths. Her eyes were drooping, and she looked beyond exhausted. Her arms and legs were battered and bruised, with blood covering parts of them. Her chest was not in much better condition, with multiple cuts and pieces of blood present. Her face still had the blood from the times she was struck there.

She was done. There was no way that Purple Heart or Nepgear would lose if they were to continue fighting.

Renna started stumbling forward. "I... need..."

"How did you do it?", asked Purple Heart.

"W...Do what?", replied Renna, still walking.

"You kept fighting. Even though we struck you down multiple times, even though we cut at you... You kept fighting. How?"

"I... simply had... something to do... something to stake my life on..."

"Your brother?", asked Nepgear.

Renna stopped in her tracks. "Yes... I have to... keep going, no matter what... for him..." Renna continued to stumble forward, looking around. "It's not... that I did not... feel anything... it was that... I had more reason to win..."

"So I was right...", mumbled Nepgear. "B-But... why didn't you attack my sister or I?"

Renna looked at her with droopy eyes. "Your... sister..."

"Yes."

Renna pointed at Purple Heart."You... helped my brother, you... And you...", she pointed at Nepgear, "...helped me."

Purple Heart and Nepgear were surprised by this response. They had nothing to reply with.

Renna looked around slowly. "Where is..." She spotted Gil. She smiled, but stopped when she saw Rei sitting next to him. She was... there... next to him...

Renna started breathing faster, and started looking angrier again. "Don't touch him!", screamed Renna, with seemingly new found vigor, and flew off towards Rei.

Rei heard this and turned her head just in time to see Renna approach her. Renna's gloves were quite sharp, and seemed menacing when she held them directly at the monster. She reached Rei quickly, and lifted her up into the air by her neck. She thrust her left hand into Rei's left leg and right arm. She then thrust her claw into Rei's left shoulder.

It seemed as though Renna, who had just shown herself to be tired, fatigued, and in great pain, suddenly forgot about all the cuts and injuries she had taken. She looked like a madwoman with the expression she had on. She seemed oblivious to her current condition. As if her face wasn't bleeding from multiple spots. As if the cuts along her arms, her legs, her chest and torso, were not hurting her. As if she was not feeling excruciating pain all over her entire body, and that she wasn't breathing heavily.

Nepgear and Purple Heart, who had followed Renna, both took Rei out of Renna's grasp with great effort and held her protectively. "Renna! Please, stop this! You don't have to do this!", said Purple Heart.

"Please, Renna, you and your brother can still find another way!", spoke Nepgear.

Rei, having been severely hurt, was breathing heavily and bleeding profusely. She was stable, but unable to talk.

"Neptune, move out of the way.", said Renna, who suddenly shifted back to feeling hurt and exhausted.

"I can't! You know I can't!"

"You... what's your name?", spoke Renna, shifting her gaze.

"Me?! I thought sis already... Um, uh, it's Nepgear."

"Okay, Nepgear. Move out of the way."

"You asked for my name just to say that… w-well I can't! Just like my sister!"

"Sister...", spoke Renna.

"Yes! My sister!"

"Why? This has nothing to do with you."

"It has everything to do with us. We were the ones who brought Rei to her senses.", spoke Purple Heart.

They were silent for a while. Renna eyed Rei maliciously, at which Rei squealed. "My brother..."

"Gil? He's right… over… oh no.", spoke Nepgear.

"What, what is it?", asked Purple Heart. Nepgear pointed towards Gil. "Oh… oh no."

Renna turned towards where Nepgear pointed, spotting Gil. He was bleeding a lot. The ground around him was stained in red, and his waterbed was completely red. "Gil!" Renna started moving slowly towards Gil, not able to move quickly anymore. She could feel her body finally give in. "No… not now. Please not now!" She collapsed onto the floor and tried crawling forward, to no success.

Purple Heart and Nepgear rushed to her side.

"What's wrong?! Are you alright?", asked Purple Heart.

"No! I need to get to him! I need to touch him!"

"What?!", sounded both Planeptune sisters.

"I need… to touch… his… blood."

Her arm fell limp, and she passed out. Purple Heart and Nepgear stood there for a while.

"Of course… it makes sense now.", spoke Nepgear.

"Yes, it does. She needs his blood to transform.", replied Purple Heart.

"But, why? I've never heard of that before."

"We'll find out later. For now, we need to help them and all of our friends."

"Alright."

They went about to their fellow CPUs and tried rousing them. They went in order from whoever went out first.

Purple Heart crouched down in the crater where the fight began. "Plutie, you alright?"

"Now that I'm awake, Neppy, yes! My head huuuuurts thoooough…"

"Well, you were stomped on a lot."

"Oh, yeah! That's true!"

They then made their way to the other CPUs and woke up those that were unconscious. Everyone was in a great deal of pain.

"I feel like I got it the worst…", said Hyper Noire.

"It's either you or me, Noirey!", spoke Plutia.

"Y-Yeah, sure…"

They all looked at Purple Heart and Nepgear. "Why aren't you two hurt?", spoke everyone at once.

"Well…", started Purple Heart.

"We'll explain later. I think that we should treat those three first, before anything worse happens…", said Nepgear.

They looked to Gil, Rei and Renna. Purple Heart had placed Rei away from them while she worked at waking everyone. Nepgear had performed healing magic on all of them, but it wasn't her specialty, so there was still work to be done. Purple Heart picked up Gil, Nepgear picked up Renna, and both Vert's helped with Rei.

"None of you can transform at the moment?", asked Purple Heart. A unanimous "No" was heard. Everyone was in too much pain. As such, they all walked towards the Basilicom. Upon their arrival, after seeing how bloody and bruised the majority was, the Histoires both went into overdrive, ordering people to stabilize the three wounded individuals and transport two of them to the living quarters, where Plutia stayed. Rei would be transported to a hospital, which was quickly organized by both Histoires.

The Histoires felt bad for the people transporting Renna and Gil, as they'd have to fit two wounded people in an elevator. That elevator.

The CPUs, choosing to take the elevator and suffer through the cramped environment, made their way to the top. Everyone was too tired to care about the elevator space. They then reached the top, and a few minutes later, the two wounded reached the top as well. How they both fit in and got out was beyond the CPUs. They were both set up in Plutia's room. Both of them were sleeping or unconscious.

After such a day, there was only one thing left to do…

"Let's party, guys!", exclaimed Neptune. Everyone mumbled and grumbled, voicing their displeasure. "Uh… it was just a joke, guys…"

They all rested on the couches, the chairs, and the floor. That was all they could do, for now. They would ask all the important questions and get all the necessary answers later.

For now, they would rest. They'd earned it. That fight was no joke. Had it not been for that girl acting… how she acted, they would most certainly all still be down there, Rei would definitely be…

That didn't matter. They had this victory. They had won! They'd saved the day, and were all, mostly, okay! They would be treated, rest up, and be re-energized in no time. For now, their precious future was safe.

But the two were still a problem. How would they act when they woke up? Would they be co-operative? Would they stop their mission? They didn't know. But they would find out.

In due time.

* * *

**That was quite the event.**

**Again, I didn't want to convey Renna as being super overpowered and whatever, even though it does look like she is mega powerful in the fight. I showed off that both siblings can lose, and that they were beaten when they were each in their own fights.**

**To me, if an opponent gets in your head, they've already won half the battle. That's what Blanc and Plutia did, kinda. ****It was the same for what Renna did to all of them when she transforms. ****They all know she's powerful. This is a given, as she's a Tari CPU. ****But she's not invincible. She took many, many blows during that last fight. And they did weigh on her. But her wanting to protect Gil kinda kept her going.**

**It wasn't that she was so much more powerful than the others, but that she had something that she greatly believed in while fighting. And that thing was being threatened. ****Ever heard of the saying "A cornered fox is more dangerous than a jackal?" Yeah, something like that. ****So again, I'm trying to not make them seem super weak or incredibly strong when compared to the others.**

**I hope that that's apparent.**

**Moving on…**

**Thanks for reading! Next chapter will include much less fighting and stuff, probably. There's been a lot of that lately.**

**Any reviews, thoughts or opinions would just be SUPER appreciated! It's always nice to hear from others when it comes to the stuff you make. So yeah. Go ahead. If you want.**

**That's about all, folks! I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you'll stick with me on this story!**

**Goodbye for now! **


	9. Sleepover

**This one is full of fluffiness, wholesomeness and general happiness for everyone! ****Many happy moments ahead. Many friendshippy, family, wholesomely-wholesome moments. ****That's how I can describe this chapter. ****So have fun and buckle up!**

**You'll need it...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 8:**

The CPUs were still at the Ultradimension Basilicom, but time had progressed a few hours. They were all still injured, but were a little less so than before.

"Ow, Neptune, don't touch me there! It still hurts, you know!", spoke Hyper Noire.

"It was just a little poke!"

"I know, but you saw what happened back there. It hurts all over." The two of them were sitting together on a couch while everyone else was busy with their own things. Neptune had come to Noire to talk with her and see how she was. Neptune scratched the back of her head. "Yeah… that was kinda a sorry sight to behold…"

"I know. I was the one going through it."

"Ooh, uh, sorry. It's just, seeing as you're normally so strong and confident and other such people details, watching you get thrown around like that was…"

Noire had her head propped up by one of her hands as she looked at Neptune with narrow eyes. "You're not making this better for yourself, you know?"

"A-Aaah, sorry about that. I just… don't know how to properly word it?"

"I was soundly defeated, Neptune. There's no reason to deny it." Noire had a sad, demotivated look on her face. She looked towards the floor and stayed like that while continuing. "She mopped the floor with me."

Now, Neptune was aware of how self-critical Noire was. Noire would only expect the best from herself and she made sure to keep it that way. Neptune also knew that Noire was the kind of person to dwell on these sort of topics. "Hey, no depresso-espresso! That's bad for your heart and brain and whatever!"

"I'm stating facts, Neptune. It's undeniable."

"But you weren't the only one! She was like that to everyone!"

"Not to you…"

"T-That's because she had bias! My overwhelming charm calmed her down! All those points I put into charisma weren't for nothing, you know?"

Noire let out a small huff. "Is that supposed to help me feel better?"

"She would've done that to me as well!"

"Now you're really digging deep. As if seeing you hurt would give me pleasure."

"Yeah, I guess not. You do love me, after all. Hey, don't you? Don't you, my Noirey-Nowaruuuuu?" She latched onto Noire, hugging her around her waist.

"You know that still hurts a lot!"

"But you're not pushing me away, are yoooou?"

"It's a waste of effort at this point. You'll just come back for more."

"AH-HA! So you don't deny it, do YOU?!"

"Just… ugh, just get it over with already."

Neptune snuggled closer to Noire, still hugging her, and spoke. "You know Noire, this is what close friends do."

Noire froze up at the word. It wasn't as if Noire didn't have any friends, and she was well aware of this fact. It was just that Neptune never really acted like this towards her. She was aware that they were friends, yes, but Noire would never say it due to embarrassment, and Neptune wouldn't because she enjoyed teasing the poor girl. Noire figured that Neptune was slightly serious if she was being so open.

"You know, best buddies and all that mushy stuff? People who are always there for you, and will listen to your problems?", continued Neptune.

"What're you trying to get at?"

"I'm telling you with my mouth-noises that you can tell me your issues and whatever! I'll try to help you when I can, and all that good stuff."

Noire was looking forward at nothing in particular. Neptune let go of her and looked at her. Noire was still silent. "Noire, I'll poke ya if you don't speak to me! Here comes the finga's! Coochy-coochy-coo!"

"Ugh, don't do that! That's weird!"

"So?"

Noire thought for a bit. "…I'm a bit grateful for that. Just a tiny bit…" She looked away halfway through.

"Oh? Does the fabled cute side make its appearance once more? It's been, like, six chapters since then."

"So you actually do remember when we spend time together…"

"Isn't that natural?"

Noire was silent for a bit. She had already turned back to Neptune. She looked slightly happier than before, and had the smallest semblance of a smile. "Whatever, Neptune. I guess you can sometimes lighten the mood."

"I told ya so! Aren't I just the best?"

"As if. So, what did you plan on doing?"

"Huh?"

"You're the one who said you wanted to help. So do it already." Noire was pouting slightly while narrowing her eyes.

"Oh, yeah, that thing!" Neptune pondered for a bit. She held her hand up to her chin comically, eliciting a roll of the eyes from Noire. "Well, I figured I can train with you for some time."

Noire was quite surprised at this suggestion. "You… train… with me?"

"Uh, yeah, that's what I just said."

"I know. But you never train. Like, at all."

"Ooh, that hurts me you know? How cold can one person be? Did the room temperature just drop a couple of your preferred temperature degrees?"

"I thought you were supposed to be helping…"

"I'm trying! Jokes and whatnot! You… do know that they're jokes, right?"

"W-Well…"

"Have mercy please."

"I-It's not my fault! You're just overly ambiguous and random all the time, so it's hard to tell!"

"Aaah, little Noire. Naïve little Noire."

"Just say it already!"

"Say "it"? Do you mean… that? I thought our relationship wasn't at that point yet… Who knew you would ask so soon?"

Noire was perplexed for a while. She started to think about what Neptune said, and was helped along a certain path by Neptune shifting her eyebrows up and down rapidly. Her face then became bright red. "Shut up Neptune! Shut up, shut up, shut up! As if I would ever ask for that!" Noire was flustered and caught off guard. She was hitting Neptune softly with her fists.

"Easy there Tiger, it was a joke. You know, like what I said before? And all the other times before? Do you really think that I'd hang out with you if I didn't like you? Why would I be here right now if that was true?"

Noire stopped her barrage of light punches and thought for a bit. It was super obvious that Neptune was her friend. She knew this. She just got overly worried about the small details. "I… I suppose you're right. I just… I can't really…"

"It's fine, it's fiiiiiiiiine! I hear all your mumbling and whispering all the time, enough to figure out what you really mean. We've been friends for a while, of course I'd know this stuff."

Why was Noire embarrassed? She shouldn't be, she was painfully aware of this, but she was. She just was. It was just… who she was. She appreciated Neptune a little more now. "Fine. We can train later today, once we're back home."

"Today?! But you're all hurt and stuff."

"I'm tougher than I look, I'll have you know. A few bruises won't take me down."

"Then those moans and groans earlier…"

"Well of course I don't prefer to be in pain! I'm going to object if somebody's trying to annoy me!"

"I know, I know. Later today? Where? Your place or mine?"

"I thought that maybe we could go over to your place. I haven't really been over for a while… at your Basilicom."

"Wanna sleep over?"

"I could, I guess."

"Not even an excuse was sound…"

"Don't ruin it."

"I can ask Nepgear to go to your place to spend some time with Uni. I feel that she needs to spend some time with a friend."

"What do you mean?"

"She's been worried about the whole state of the world thing lately. It was actually just before we met Renna and Gil."

"That must've been quite prophetical of her."

"Or just foreshadowing."

"I guess."

"Yeah. Hey, Noire?"

"Yes, Neptune?"

"I didn't even make a joke about it being just the two of us…"

Noire blushed a little but rolled her eyes. "You are aware of how useless it is to say that? As if you're proud you didn't, but then mention it anyway?"

"I… never thought about that…"

"Just go ask your sister already."

"Right-O!"

She asked around for where Nepgear was, and was pointed into the direction of Plutia's room, where the pair rested.

* * *

**Plutia's room:**

Neptune entered the room, closing the door behind her. The pair were each on their own sort of hospital bed situated a few meters away from each other.

The girl was looking fine and had no visible wounds remaining on her body. The boy was similar, besides his shoulder. There was a small cut there at this time. They each had on plain white hospital tops and loose, long pants. They were looking much better already.

Besides the boy stood Nepgear and Plutia. They both turned around to Neptune as she walked closer.

"Oh, hello sis.", greeted Nepgear.

"Hey Neppy…", greeted Plutia.

Neptune smiled her usual smile. "Hey guys. Keeping an eye out on these two, huh?"

"Yeah, sis… they stabilized a while ago, but we figured that some people should keep watch."

Neptune looked at Plutia, who seemed focused on something. Neptune followed her gaze, and her eyes ended up on the boy's shoulder. "You okay, Plutie? Something on your mind?"

Plutia kept staring at the cut.

"Plutie?"

"Ah! Yes, Neppy? What's the matter?" She still kept her slow way of talking. It was something that never left her.

"You seem a little preoccupied with that little cut o'er there?"

"Yeah… I didn't mean to do that… I was a little excited, and I stopped thinking for a second."

"We all know that, Plutie, don't worry."

"I've been trying to be less violent in my other form, Neppy. Did you know that?"

"Well I think I sorta noticed it? You didn't really… beat him up when he was down, I guess."

"I really am trying Neppy! Just a little less…"

Nepgear looked relieved. "A little? That's some relief, I suppose… N-Not that you were a problem before!"

Plutia wasn't fazed by this and kept looking at the boy. Neptune wanted to ask her a question, although she was a bit nervous while doing so. "So… Plutie… You know when you were fighting him?"

"Yeeees?"

"And you said all those things about him? About him being "a proper man" and all that stuff? Were you just… "marking your territory", or whatever?"

Plutia raised both of her hands to her face and blushed a little. "Don't embarrass me, Neppy…"

"What kind of answer is that?! What is this sort of development?! It's not even been ONE chapter since you said those things and already it's got this far?! You don't even know him! What is the writer thinking?! This development is WAY too fast, fella!"

Plutia waved her hands in front of Neptune's face. "It's nothing like that, Neppy!"

"W-Well then what is this event flag? Is this boy here some kind of "route finder"?!"

"It's really nothing! Please just let me explain!"

Neptune performed a salute. "Go ahead, comrade. I pray that you haven't fallen into clunky development."

Plutia put her fingers together. "Okay… so, when I said those things to him, I didn't mean it in a bad way. That's… how I am when I'm like that…I guess… Hehehe…" Neptune felt a slight disturbance in the force. Her force. Specifically, down her spine. "I haven't been able to speak with a boy like him ever, so I was a little… worked up.", continued Plutia.

"Okay, seriously, did the temperature just drop?"

"Neppy… I'm being serious here…", spoke Plutia in a pleading tone. It was still as slow as ever.

"Fine, I won't add any more quips. Maybe."

"Okay… so… we all know what the end goal was. We were trying to get them to come with us and be nice to us. Like we have them now… And I figured, since we've done this before, we would try to be friends with them. Like we did with Rei. She's all friendly with us now, and that makes me suuuuper happy. I wanted that to happen with these two, too… I want to be friends with Renny… that is something I really want… but I was a little excited by Gilly. He was a strong fighter, and he seemed to handle pain well. I would be lying if I said that that wasn't a TINY bit appealing… But we haven't really had a boy friend before, have we? A male friend? We're all girls. None of us have any real experience with boys…"

Neptune interrupted. "Sorry about this, Plutie." She cleared her throat, and continued.

"We interrupt this scheduled broadcast for a really important, plot relevant and life changing announcement. This boy here isn't some harem-master. He is not going to scoop all of us off our feet, he isn't going to make us all fall in love with him by the time he wakes up, and he won't be treated like your typical OP-OC-self-fulfilling harem protagonist. What Plutie is going on about is a BOY FRIEND. The space is important. So to all you readers out there, worry not. The next chapters won't be filled with some kinky stuff I'm not allowed to really talk about. Genericness will not take this soldier."

Both Plutie and Nepgear stared at Neptune, confused and puzzled by her speech. "Carry on.", signaled Neptune, as if nothing weird had happened.

Nepgear had a confused face. "Sis… you're really… unique."

"Yeah, Neppy. Unique…"

"I know, thanks. You can continue now."

"Oh, right! Where was I… Right, a boy friend. I kinda sorta wanted to try talking to him. I don't really have much experience with boys, so I'm a bit awkward…" She blushed a little. "I want them to be friends with us! More friends are always good! It means that there are more adventures for us, and that there are more people for us to care about! I want to make plushies of them, and play with them… M-Maybe in the rougher kind, as well…"

"I think your definition of "play" is a bit… different to ours, Plutie…", spoke Nepgear, remembering what Iris Heart had done to her before.

"Ehehehe… I knoooow. I can't change thaaaaat. It's fuuuun…"

"Please don't say that in such an innocent voice…", spoke Nepgear again.

"I'm sorry… But what I said is the truth… I want to make them our friends… We did it with Rei, so why can't we do it with these two?"

"Such fluffy reasons for a fluffy person.", said Neptune. "Plutie, never change that part of you."

"I'll tryyyyyy!"

They kept observing the boy. It looked like he was resting soundly. His face wasn't his usual tense, slightly peeved expression. It was normal, at rest, and didn't change much. Neptune suddenly thought of something. "Hey, Plutie. Did you see anything that screamed "that's important to the story" on his hand? It's been covered by that glove of his, so I was just wondering."

"Not when I was changing him.", spoke Plutia, innocently.

"WHAT?! Plutie, you changed him?"

"Well, yeah… the doctor-y people went down the elevator to get some more stuff for these two, and I was here by myself. Their clothes were already here, so I changed the both of them. Whyyyyy?"

"O-Oh, nevermind, that's perfectly reasonable."

Nepgear looked between both beds before talking. "Plutia, why aren't they strapped down? What if they break free and decide to leave? They could be dangerous… they could come after you…"

"I made that choice! I wanted them to know that we mean no harm! If they see that they can roam around when they want, they'll think we're nice! I'll even leave a note by them to say that we want them to be our friends. I'll put their clothes here, and the note next to it."

"But… how were you able to do that?", asked Nepgear.

"I told Histy that I wanted them to stay here, at least for a few nights. I want to be friiiieeeendly with them. She keeps telling me that it's bad, though…"

"Plutie, I want them to be our friends too. So if anything bad happens, just call us, okay? We'll be over in a jiffy.", said Neptune.

"Okaaaay! Thank you! I'm going to go spend some time with the others now, so bye-bye!" Plutia stared at the boy one last time, and left the room.

Nepgear sighed to herself. "Haaaaah, Plutie is so carefree… it's dangerous sometimes."

"It's part of her charm, Nep Jr.! We all have those things about us!"

"I guess you're right."

"Yeah. Ooooh, also, Nep Jr.?"

"Yeah, sis?"

"You wanna go over to Uni's place?"

"Umm… I'd like to, but… why so suddenly?"

"Well, Noire's kinda coming over and she said that she's staying the night. We're going to train and stuff like that."

"You're… training?"

"Oh come on! I'm not THAAAT lazy, am I?"

"U-Uhhhh…"

"Anywho, there is another reason. I think that you need to calm that cute head of yours. Some quality time with a friend-indeed will surely help a friend in need. That's you!"

"Me? Why do I need to calm down, sis? I haven't been mean or anything, have I?"

"What blasphemy! You?! MEAN?! Never in your life! No, I just want you to chillax. You've been full stress mode since that little prophecy of yours, so I think ya need it."

"I-It wasn't a prophecy…"

"But you've given it a great big thinking, haven't ye?"

"Y-Yes…"

"Seeeee! So listen to your sister and chill out! It's good for the body!"

"I… I'll go ask Uni now. Thank you, sis."

"Don't sweat it. You might start to stink." After they shared brief laughter, Nepgear left the room in search of Uni.

Neptune was all alone now. She was still beside Gil, leaning on the side of his bed. From what Neptune had seen, he and his sister were taller than herself in this form. The boy seemed to be taller than Neptune when she was Purple Heart, and the girl was shorter than Purple Heart. They both seemed to be around average height. Nothing special or spectacular.

Neptune looked to Gil's neck. He had a peculiar scar on the right side of his neck. From what Neptune had heard, this boy should have many scars on his body from what he went through. But she had not seen any other scars, and Plutie surely would've told her. So why just this one?

Did the girl have one as well? As Neptune turned to the girl, she thought that she saw the girl staring at her. She could've sworn that it was so. But in the next second, her eyes were closed. It could've easily been a mistake, so Neptune wasn't sure.

Neptune got up from her position and walked over to the girl. She leaned against her bed and looked to her neck. She did not have a scar on any side of her neck. What could that be about? "Welp, I'd better get to the others! Don't want them thinking I disappeared or whatever. See you two another time!"

She then got up and left the room.

* * *

**Ultradimension, Lastation. A few hours later:**

Noire was at her desk, working away as usual. She was almost finished for the day. It was late into the afternoon and the sun was almost gone. The orange remnants reflected off of the windows, giving the room a slight orange-brown tinge. Noire started to think about other things not related to work.

What would she do when she finished? She didn't have a sister like her counterpart. Her counterpart… She was getting along well with her. They were actually… friends, and she was sure the other her felt the same way. This was a thought that brought a smile to her.

She was so unappreciative of her in the past, when they first met, but she regretted that action now. They could've become friends sooner, after all. What would they do together? She knew that they had similar tastes, but they weren't the exact same person.

They could play games together sometimes? Maybe like a "game night" every once in a while? Or maybe they could just go out with each other to spend some time together? Just as friends. Doing friend stuff.

Maybe… maybe they could cosplay together!

Why hadn't she thought about this sooner?! She knew that she wasn't so open about it, and that it was the same for the other her, but they both spoke about it with so much passion! No doubt, they would eventually be that open with each other! Just think about the possibilities! They could pull off so many AMAZING dual-cosplays. They were both quite devoted to the role, so they wouldn't be out of place. They would synergize so well together!

She balled her fists together, lifted her hands, shook them, closed her eyes together tight with a wide smile and let out a girly squeal of excitement in one smooth movement. Nobody was around, so she was safe. She would have to discuss this with her… they would both understand the importance of this collaboration. And a great collaboration it would be…

Calm down, Noire, calm down. There was still work to do. Breathe in… breathe out… There… What else could she think about? Her thoughts drifted to Plutia.

What was that girl thinking?! Not only was she leaving the pair close to one another, but she hadn't even taken any precautions! No security, no surveillance, hell, not even anything to bind them to their beds! It was unsafe, in every sense of the word.

Plutia had told her that she wanted to be friends with them, like they'd done before. She did admit, if anyone could do it, it was Plutia. She sort of… had her ways… She managed to befriend Blanc all those years back, even though she had made her cry!

To this day, Noire was still unaware of how she had made it to Lowee… she had a blank space in her memory, and that stayed with her through all these years. Nobody had given her any explanation as to why they'd gone there. All she she remembered is that she had this intense urge to travel to Lowee and confront Blanc. She would have to ask about that sometime…

Plutia was also the one to stop Rei. She had quelled her energy, and made sure that she had reformed. Plutia welcomed Rei with open arms, and they still kept in contact with each other. Plutia seemed to be… oddly persuasive. This was of course helped along by her tendency to torture every living thing that slightly piqued her interest. Like that boy earlier today…

She cut right into his shoulder! She even slashed into his legs, causing him to collapse! Noire knew that she was also a little bit brutal in her Goddess form, but surely she hadn't ever gone that far. Surely? She wasn't a sadist.

Plutia had mentioned something about leaving a note… to convince those two. Maybe it would work? Plutia seemed to have a knack for that stuff. But… maybe it wouldn't… Those two were determined to kill Rei. They had listened to her entire story and revealed themselves afterwards. They'd even said that they understood Rei's side of the story, even though SHE was the one to put them through that hell.

Noire wondered if she was capable of that sort of forgiveness…

But even so, they still wanted to kill Rei. They weren't weak willed. They were driven towards their goal. They weren't weak on the battlefield either. They had both put up a fight when they were fighting by themselves, although it was a pretty one sided fight on both sides at the end.

But that girl was… insane in her transformed state. Not like, mentally insane, but like, physically insane. She was fast, strong, adept at magic, and hadn't even drawn a weapon. What if she had drawn a weapon? Did they even have any?

Noire would have to improve herself. She knew she could get stronger and she knew that they were taken by surprise AGAIN. But the siblings had a better grasp of her capabilities now, and they would be better prepared next time. She would have to train. Maybe think up some new techniques. Maybe new styles, as well. Branch out a bit?

Noire's thoughts darted back to what she thought about before the girl's strength, and before her own strength. Now that she thought about it… was the girl sane? She hadn't spoken to the girl in that form, but she seemed okay in the head in her normal form. She was definitely… unique. When she had stared down Noire and the group while transformed, Noire hadn't felt that comfortable.

During their… brief… bout, Noire noted that her face was generally normal. She did sometimes put on a vicious smile while fighting, though. Other than that, she looked like how anybody would during a fight... Right? Then again, she hadn't been close to her during the entire fight.

But her eyes were… unsettling, to say the least. They were dark. There was nothing swirling about them. They were deep and intense. She couldn't describe it… it was something that had to be witnessed to be understood.

But anyway, back to work. She was almost finished, and would then rest for the night. Or maybe she'd start thinking about some outfit ideas…

* * *

**Hyperdimension, Lowee:**

Ram and Rom were in their room after a few hours of training. They had been eager to get to it and had started not long after they'd got back. They even kept going for a while after Blanc had left. She said she had work to do. They weren't tired, and were talking to each other, sitting on a bed in their pajamas.

"Rom, Rom, don't you think we're getting stronger?!", asked Ram, with a gleeful expression.

"I do Ram…! I feel that we're starting to get our own new styles…", replied Rom, with a smile.

"I know, right?! We're so cool! We're, like, making up our own stuff without Blanc to help us, and we're being smart and stuff! We're more inde-…indi-… what's the word?"

"Independent…"

"Yeah! Independent! We're doing stuff by ourselves more, yeah!"

"I agree…! But, but… I feel bad for Blanc…"

"Me too, Rom…"

"She's so worried about us… she said today that she wanted to be stronger for us…" Rom's eyes started to tear up. "She said that she was hurt by her own failures… I-I don't want her to feel like that anymore, Ram…!"

"That's why we're training and stuff! We'll be there to protect her sometimes, too! We'll make her proud of us, and she'll love us more, and we'll all protect each other together!"

"Y-Yeah…! But… I don't want her to feel bad… She really wants to protect us… She's so strong, so she shouldn't feel bad… She needs to know that she is our "pillar", and that that'll never change…!"

"Well said, Rom! We'll show her how much we love her! We'll go out together as a family and have fun together! We can really show her how much she means to us!"

"Y-Yeah…! We can tell her, then… Someday… soon…"

"Yeah, soon! We'll show her how good we little sisters can be!" They took each other's hands and stood up on the bed, bouncing up and down in joy. They were so excited.

"I'm not even tired, why do we have to go to sleep so eeeeeaaaaarlyyyyyy?! I still wanna play!", spoke Ram.

"R-Ram… don't make too much noise… Blanc will get mad at us…"

"Oh, yeah. I guess we're trying to not do that, huh?"

"Yes… thank you…"

"Maybe we should sneak into her bed and sleep with her tonight? How about it, Rom?"

"I-I wouldn't mind… We can even make her breakfast tomorrow…"

"Yeah, but we can't cook."

"We… We'll still try…! That will make it tastier for her!"

"Maybe! I don't know!"

They sat back down and spoke some more. "She'll still be up by now… probably looking online at some… I don't know…", spoke Ram.

"She always stays up so late…"

"We'll just have to wait! We can talk some more in the meantime… What you wanna talk about?"

"I don't know… Maybe… some more about our training?"

"Ooh, that's a great idea! I'll start!"

"Okay…"

"So we both decided to split our roles, and I'm the closer-upper person! I'm in the bad guys face and stuff! I really feel like I'm getting better, too! Blanc even told me how quick thinking I am on the battlefield! She said that I surprised her a buncha times, and that I'm a natural at close combat!"

"Well done, Ram…!"

Ram puffed out her chest and put her face into an expression that could only be described as "smug". It suited her. "Hmmmmhmmm, thank you Rom! I can make a bunch of weapons with my magic! Like a sword, a bigger sword, a spear, axe, hammer, and this spiked ball thing joined to my staff by a chain. It can even extend and come back! Uhhhhh, what else… um, um, the weapons are super light! Maybe it's just because of how strong I am! I think it's 'cus of the magic though… it weighs like nothing."

"You're strong even without that, Ram…!"

"Thanks, Rom! Ummmmmm… oh yeah, shield! I can make a shield! It's super small and round, but it can take a lot of hits! It doesn't even crack! Maybe… I'll even make armour one of these days! Yeah! It'll look all coooool, and flashyyyy and it'll be the best!"

"Yay…! You're so cool, Ram!"

"What about you, Rom? Go over what you tried."

"O-Okay… well, I'm still at longer ranges… I like using bows… It's quiet, and I can use many different arrows… different elements, different lengths… I can change how they look and feel…"

"Woah, that's really cool!"

"T-Thanks… I can also… create traps… on the field… I can make obstacles out of ice to block people off, and I can make spots on the ground that freeze your feet… to slow you down…"

"And, and?! What did Blanc say?!"

"She said that I'm really smart… I know how to put the bad guys in places I want them to be in… hehehe…" Rom was blushing a bit.

"Oooooh, I guess we're both geniuses, then!"

"M-Maybe… I also tried to use throwing weapons… I tried to make ice-balls that explode when they hit you, and they spread across your body… they slow you down… I-I can control what parts they freeze…"

"That's amazing!"

"And…! And I can make a circle around me to defend me…! Or I can make a small piece…! I can make it move so fast…!"

"Oh, cool!"

"I-I think that's all…"

"It was a lot of stuff. We can do SO much more now, and it's only been a few days. We're so cool!"

"Mm…! We did a lot… maybe we should go see if Blanc is awake…"

"Okay, let's go." They got off of their bed and made their way out. They walked along the long, giant hallways, and reached Blanc's room in a few minutes.

"Take a peek, Ram…"

"I'm doing it…" She opened the door slightly to see the light of a PC. It was white and bright and was facing away from them. "Rom, I can't see her from here. We'll need to sneak in like ninjas."

"I hope she doesn't get mad if she's awake…"

They stealthily sneaked their way inside, keeping on their tiptoes the entire time. They each crouched down and went to opposite sides of the table, crawling. They poked their heads around it at the same time, looking at their sister... Who was passed out by her computer.

"She's asleep but not in her bed. What're we going to do, Rom?"

"We…we can try to carry her?"

"That might work. We'll need to work together to do this."

"We're good at that…!"

They then started with… Operation: Sleeping White.

"It's 'cus her name means that!", exclaimed Ram.

They each grabbed a hold of one of her legs and slowly dragged her down her chair. It was a rolling chair, so it was easy to move. Her legs were off, and her mid-section was halfway off. "How are we going to get her head off without waking her, Ram…?"

"We'llllllll… cushion it!" They got some surrounding pillows and made a Blanc-cushion. They dragged her off and onto the soft area. "Okay, first part is over! Now, it's part two!"

They grabbed a hold of each of her arms, with Ram on Blanc's left and Rom on her right, and tried dragging her towards Blanc's room. It wasn't working out too well. "We can't abort now! We're too far into the mission!", said Ram.

"Maybe we can drag her by her shoulders while she's still on the cushions…?"

"Yeah, great thinking Rom! It's like a raft of fluffiness!"

They proceeded to drag her along the floor, towards her room. A few times, some pillows would come loose and they'd have to stop and retrieve them. The whole process took about twenty minutes.

"We… We're finally at her room, Rom!"

"Y-Yeah… Now we need to get her on the bed…"

"Part three!"

They gathered some more pillows and formed a sort of staircase leading onto the bed. Ram was by Blanc's head and was pulling her shoulders. Rom was by Blanc's feet and was pushing them forward.

"This isn't working!", said Ram.

"We… We can spin each section of her body up the pillows… one at a time…"

"I like that! Away!"

As such, they shifted Blanc's lower section around, making it so that her legs were closer to her bed than her head. They then performed the process with her upper section, and repeated from her lower section until she was on the bed. Then they dragged her to where her pillows were, and laid her head on them.

"Haaaah… Haaaaah… We did it Rom…"

"Y-Yeah… I'm so tired…"

"Me too… But we were so strong! We didn't even use any magic!"

"Yeah…! We're strong now…!"

They silently high fived, and then leaned over Blanc's head. She was still asleep. Her face was relaxed, so at peace and… not angry.

"She looks so nice when she's asleep…", spoke Rom.

"Yeah. She's earned this rest. Let's move the pillows and join her."

They put the different pillows in different parts of the room, and got back into bed. Ram snuggled in on the left of Blanc, and Rom was on the right.

"We'll protect you too, big sis…", spoke Rom, sleepily. Her eyes were closing, ad she was about to drift off.

"We'll… always be here… for you… always…", said Ram, in a similar fashion to her twin sister.

All three Goddesses were soundly asleep. They were all embraced, and nothing disturbed this family. All was right for these three. Nothing much could get better than this. Ram and Rom's secret covert mission would be told in legends for centuries to come. A tale of how two sisters snuck into the monster's castle and managed to catch her while she was sleeping, bringing her back to the two sisters' home. Nobody else had even attempted it before, and they were successful on their first try.

They managed to immobilize the monster in a sea of fluffiness, which was used to fly the monster over great canyons and mountains. They eventually arrived home, and dropped off the monster. It turns out that the monster had taken care of the two sisters since they were little kids, and that the sisters were just taking the monster back home! What a shocking turn of events!

They then all slept together on a giant, magical bed which provided wondrous dreams and rejuvenating rest. They all snuggled together, and shared some family time. And they all lived together, happily ever after.

The end.

* * *

**Hyperdimension, Planeptune:**

It was late at night, and both Neptune and Noire were in their pajamas. They were both playing games at this time and had trained earlier in the day. "It's like we're in each other's minds! We're so in tune, I feel like I'm talking to you through wavelength!", said Neptune.

"You're so weird… But yeah, I guess. We're a pretty good team."

"She finally admits it!"

"It's not THAT amazing for me to do that, you know?"

"Oh, but it is! You have no idea how hard it is!"

They were playing through a game together, moving through the levels at an efficient pace. Noire had stopped to look at the time, noting that it was eleven o' clock. "Wow, that was fast. We should be going to bed soon, Neptune."

"It was fast, huh? Does that mean that you had fun?"

"I don't think I need to say that…"

"I'll take that as a yes."

"Fine, yes. It was fun."

"Ooooooh, again with the admittance! Are you trying to level my affection points or something?! Trying to pull the moves on me since my sister's not here?"

"A-As if I would do something that forward! And NO! I'm NOT!"

"Maybe I'll be the one pulling the moves instead… just let me get my cheat sheet…"

"I swear, if you touch me while I'm sleeping, I'll slap you."

Neptune wiggled her eyebrows at Noire. "Who said that you'd notice it?"

"I-I… That's a bit creepy…"

"Tis but a joke, my sweet Lady Noire… Or is it?"

"Uhhhh… Whatever, let's just go to bed." They got up, turned off the console and TV, and made their way to Neptune's room. "But like seriously, Noire, thanks for coming."

"What for?"

Neptune held up one finger on each hand. "There's two things." She held up her left hand. "One, is that this gives time for Nepgear to spend with Uni, like I said before. I bet they're both super appreciative and stuff, since they're about as close as we are."

"I-I guess…"

Neptune lowered her left arm and raised her right hand. "And two, is that I get to spend time with you, Noire. With my best friend."

Noire was taken aback, suddenly taking a step away from Neptune. To suddenly admit that was too much for poor Noire's heart. She was happy, embarrassed, joyous and flustered, all at the same time. "I… Well… Don't just say that out of nowhere, Neptune! Don't be stupid!"

"Awwww, but it's sooooo cuuuuute~, Noirey…"

"You know how I am, don't do that!" Noire hit Neptune on her arm a few times before they entered Neptune's room. There was a guest room, but it was far away. At least, far away enough for Neptune to not want Noire there. As such, there were only Neptune and Nepgear's beds present.

"So I take it that I'm sleeping on your bed, and you're sleeping on your sister's?", asked Noire.

"Why?"

"Well, because…"

"I wanna sleep on my bed! It's MY bed, after all!"

Noire blinked at her a few times. "O-Okay… I guess I'll just sleep on Nepgear's bed then…"

"Ooooh, so Noire's not only going after me, but my little sister too?! She wants to be all over my sister's sleeping spot! How bold!"

Noire's face was red. "And now why would I want that?! I'm not some crazed beast, you know?!"

"I know, I'm just teasing. Like I always do."

"I… I'm aware. That's… That's just how I act! You already know this!"

"All too well."

"Exactly! So just… make up your mind already. Where am I sleeping, and where are you sleeping?"

"Well… since you're the guest and stuff, you can sleep on my bed."

"T-Thank yo- Wait, I shouldn't be thanking you. You'll just use that against me."

"Who knows? But yeah, my bed is yours."

"Cool…"

"I'm sleeping there too."

Noire looked at her with a questioning look. "What?"

"I said I'll sleep in my bed too."

While this did surprise Noire, as usual, it was a little bit more expected. "I-I know what you're trying to do, Neptune. Trying to get me all embarrassed and flustered, but that's already happened enough times tonight! I've already prepared for another joke, so I'm not embarrassed at all now!" Noire was confident in this as she branded a smile on her face, although her cheeks were still partially cherry.

"I'm not joking."

That confidence had soon crumbled away. "W-What do you mean, Neptune?"

"I'm sleeping in my bed."

"B-But I-I'm sleeping there…"

"I know."

"But then we'll be sleeping in the same bed together when there's a perfectly good bed for you to be in!"

"I know. And that perfectly good bed is mine."

"U-Uhhhhhhh…" They stared at each other for a while. "So you want to sleep with- I mean IN the same bed as me, even though you know how I act, and you know that there's another bed, AND you won't allow me to sleep in the other one?"

Neptune raised her right hand to her chin, thinking. "Yes."

"W…Why, exactly?" Noire was raising her defenses. She hoped that she was ready for any assault, no matter where it came from.

"Can't best friends do that?"

Noire wasn't quick enough. Her defenses had been breached. They stood there in silence for a few seconds. Noire walked slowly over to Neptune's bed, got under the covers, and lied down on her side without saying a word.

"Noire? You alright?"

Noire looked at her, then looked away quickly, closing her eyes and producing a quick "Hmph" sound.

Neptune decided to crawl in the bed from the opposite side. She got under the covers, and also lied down. "Noire?" Still no answer. "I'll poke you."

"…What, Neptune?"

Neptune poked her anyway.

"AAAAH! I said "What?!"

"I know that, but it was worth it."

"You… You're such a weirdo, you know that?"

"Just wanna make sure that you're okay, ya know? After today."

"And we HAVE to be in the same bed to do so?! Hey?!"

"It's bonding! Besides, do you REALLY think that I'd do anything weird to you in your sleep?" Noire turned her body around, eyeing Neptune suspiciously. "Oh, come on! I know I tease a lot, but I'm not some criminal!"

Noire pouted at her. "Soooo… are you mad? I didn't mean it like that…", said Neptune.

"…No."

Neptune looked at her, and Noire looked away.

"So… does that mean that you're happy?"

"I didn't say that."

"But you didn't say no."

"I don't have to. I'd hope you'd get the message."

"The message, huh? Wait, do ya mean…?"

Noire opened her eyes, looking at Neptune.

"Ahhhh… I get it." Noire nodded her head and closed her eyes. Her eyebrows were angled upwards, hopeful. She had a small smile, but Neptune could still see it. "You're welcome, Noire. We'll be friends forever, right?"

"…It's time for bed, Neptune."

"Alright, alright. Nighty-night."

"Goodnight."

"Sleep well."

"…You too."

They were quiet. Everything was quiet.

"You know, Noire, you're really weird."

"Shut up!"

"I didn't say it was bad… In fact, and I'm pretty sure I've said this before, it's kinda cu-"

"Shut up, Neptune!"

"Fiiiiiiine."

Silence resumed. They had earned this rest.

* * *

**Hyperdimension, Lastation:**

Nepgear and Uni had been working away in Uni's room, attempting to repair Uni's gun. They had just finished. "I can't believe that she snapped it like it was nothing…", muttered Uni.

"I know, it was very surprising."

"Yeah, it seemed like it. You were so surprised that you didn't even help me out at the end…"

"W-Well… I'm sorry. I really was surprised, though! I wanted to help you, I really did!"

"It's fine, Nepgear. I'm pretty sure anyone would've acted like that."

"Phew… Thanks, Uni."

"Maybe try a little harder next time."

"I-I'm sorry… wait, next time?"

"Well… We're probably going to face them again, and you are aware that my specialty is longer ranges…"

"Oh, that's true! Maybe we can train together tomorrow!"

"We can train?! Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it'll be fun! You can try out some closer range weapons! Who knows, maybe you'll like it."

"Y-Yeah, okay then… But I'm not experienced, so don't-"

"You'll be fine, Uni! I'm sure of it. You're already strong and smart, you'll warm up to it in no time."

Uni was a little embarrassed, but grateful. "Yeah… Yeah! Thanks, Nepgear."

"No problem." They both then looked at the time. "Goodness, it's already past twelve! We've been doing this forever."

"I guess time really does fly when you're…"

"…having fun, right Uni?"

Uni nodded, and they shared a small laugh. "We should get ready for bed. Go shower, Nepgear. I'll go after you."

"Sure, okay. Thanks."

Nepgear then proceeded to the shower. She showered, got dressed and went to Uni without incident. "Your turn."

"I know." Uni proceeded in a similar fashion. She entered, showered, got dressed into her pajamas, then went back to Nepgear without incident.

"So where are we sleeping, Uni?"

"There's a guest room not far from here. I can take you there."

"But I want to sleep in the same room as you…"

"H-Hey! I didn't say that I wouldn't sleep there as well! I-I guess I can sleep there since it would be rude to leave a guest by themselves."

"Okay! Whatever you say! Yay!"

"Let's just go already." They reached the room, entered, and got into their respective beds.

"That gun of yours is really amazing, Uni."

"Thanks. I keep great care of it. I clean it all the time and check it for damage regularly. It's even better now thanks to…"

"…Us. We made it better. It was a group effort."

"I-If you say so…"

"It's much more powerful now, so expect to be even stronger than you already are."

"Thanks. You know, I could help you with tweaking your weapon, sometimes…"

"Oh, I'd love that Uni! Maybe tomorrow?"

"Sure."

They stayed quiet for a while. Uni turned the lights off, enveloping them in darkness. "Nepgear… how are you feeling?"

"I'm… fine? Why, Uni?"

"Well… you've seemed a bit worried lately… actually, a lot worried. Noire told me that Neptune was worried about you, and that's why she sent you here…"

"Oh, that. Y-Yes… I've been worried."

"So you coming here was…"

"No, Uni, I wanted to come over anyway! I wanted to ask sooner, but stuff kept happening. I promise we'll make this a regular thing, okay?"

"O…Okay. Thanks, Nepgear. But… what are you worried about?"

"I'm worried that something bad is going to happen… I'm pretty sure it has to do with those two we fought against."

"Renna and Gil?"

"Yes. I think that they are the cause behind my anxiety."

"Well, Nepgear, we met them. We fought against them. We spoke to them, and we even know their objective. We'll sort this out somehow. Don't you worry."

"Thanks Uni… That means a lot."

"Don't mention it."

"Okay, I'll see you later. Night, Uni! Sleep well!"

"You too Nepgear. Goodnight."

They both quickly fell into a slumber after a hard day's work.

* * *

**Ultradimension, Planeptune:**

Plutia woke up with a small jump, startled. Had she heard something moving in one of the other rooms? She lifted herself and looked at her bedside table to her left. Upon it was a clock. She pressed a button, and numbers lit up. It was after midnight. She looked to her right, spotting Histoire on her bed. She was so cute…

Plutia decided to investigate the possible disturbance. What could it be? She had a few ideas. Maybe something had fallen by itself since it was placed in an awkward position. Maybe a light had turned on by itself. Maybe it was the TV, or a fan, or a…

In reality, she knew what it most likely was. Nothing would just fall over like that after so many hours. There were no lights that she could see from under the door, and the fan was in perfect condition. She knew what it was. And she dreaded it.

Maybe they were just surprised, and decided to explore a bit? Maybe they were a bit hungry? Plutia knew that she was like that sometimes…

She'd find out. She'd be kind to them, and they'd be kind back. There was no reason to panic. She opened her door and made her way to the main area… Coming face to face with what she had thought it was.

The two.

* * *

**A few minutes prior:**

"Gil…" What was that? "Gil… Gil…" Who was that? "Wake up… Whose voice was that? "…you have to…" Who did it belong to? "Gilly…"

Gil woke up suddenly, eyes widening in shock. It was dark. The room was in complete darkness, but he could make out his sister's eyes. Cyan and grey. He was instantly put into a calmer state.

"Hey Gil. How've you been? I think it's time we left."

"What is this place?"

"It's the Goddesses living quarters. I think they called it a "Basilicom" or something."

"Okay. Wait, how did you get to me? How did you get out of bed?"

"I wasn't strapped down. Same goes for you."

"That's odd. Why would they do that?"

"You'll find out now. Go get dressed, your clothes are on your right. There's a note next to them."

"Okay." Gil rose out of his bed and walked towards his clothes. Renna sat down on his bed, watching him. Both of their eye's had adjusted by now. After Gil had gotten dressed, he made his way back to his sister and sat down beside her.

"Read it, read it! Go on."

He did. He lit a flame in his left hand, using it to provide light. It was hand written and folded neatly. He unfolded it and began reading…

_Dear Gilly and Renny_

He looked up and towards his sister, visibly frustrated.

"Yeah, I know. Just keep reading."

_Hello you two! Or one of you, if you're not reading this together! I want to welcome you here! This is where I live! I'm soooo happy to have you here, and I hope that you will both stay._

_I want to be friends with the both of you. I'm sorry about how I acted earlier. In case you were wondering, I'm the one who fought against you, Gil, when you read this. I really am sorry about your shoulder and your legs. I made __**sure **__that they'd get good treatment, so you should be in perfect health in no time!_

_I'm sorry about how I acted. I've been told that I can get a little… excited in my Goddess form, so I end up hurting people. Even the ones that I hold close to me, and want to protect._

_That includes you two! I want to be close to you two! You don't have to go after Rei. You know what she said, and you know how she feels. Believe it or not, I'm the one who stopped her! She went on a rampage a while ago, and I was the one to get her back to normal. We kept in contact, and that's how we found her! That's also where you heard her!_

_There has to be a deeper meaning to that! As if even the world wants us to be closer!_

_I really want to be friends with the both of you, from the bottom of my heart. I really am sorry about how I act, and you'll probably go through it in the future, but I'm working on making it better! That way, I don't have to hurt my friends a lot! That obviously includes you two! I already consider you both my friends in hopes that you will do the same for me!_

_That's why I didn't bind you guys up. I was the one who requested that, and even though they said I shouldn't, I did it anyway. That's how much I believe that we can be friends! So believe with me, please! I wanted you two to be free to roam around here and feel like you're not restrained in any way. That means that you can eat and drink what you want, and you can play whatever games you want!_

_I think I'm out of time now, so I'll finish here. I have to go see my other friends._

_I'll answer all your questions when I next see you! Who knows, it might be in the next few minutes?_

_I'll see you in the morning!_

_Your friend_

_Plutia_

The letter ended there. "Quite heartfelt, isn't it?", asked Renna.

"It is."

"She wants to be our friend. She really does."

"I can see that."

"So…?"

"You already know what we have to do."

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"Let's get ready, then."

* * *

**Present time:**

Plutia was holding onto a Nepplushie, pulling it into her chest. She was surprised by Renna and Gil, and they were also surprised by her. They were standing by the large window overlooking the city, and each of them was dressed in their normal attire.

"Renny… Gilly…", mumbled Plutia.

Renna took a step back as she saw Plutia. "Plutia!"

Gil spoke with a calmer voice as he stood near his sister. "…Plutia."

They looked at each other for a moment. Since the large windows weren't covered, the room was illuminated by the city lights. Plutia had on her normal expression, with a small smile and gentle eyes. "Did you two read my leeeetteeeer?"

"Yeah, we already have.", answered Renna.

"Oh, goody! Then you know that I want to be friends with you two…!"

"Yeah, that was mentioned a few times.", spoke Renna again.

"…And that I already consider you two as my friends!"

Gil had his hands in fists. "Yes. We know."

Plutia focused on Gil and went to approach him. "Gilly… I'm so sorry…" Plutia had a sad tone.

He stood his ground, but Renna moved beside him.

Gil looked to his left, gazing out the window. "We know. You said."

"So, so, you'll guys stay here, right? You'll be my friends, right?" They didn't answer. "…Right?"

Renna narrowed her eyes for a moment. She wasn't a big fan of how this close this girl was getting to Gil. "We really appreciate all the things you said, Plutia. You look like a gentle person in this form, so it suits you."

"So that's a yes!"

Gil returned his vision back to Plutia. "Did you really mean all those things? All those things about you stopping Rei?"

"Yes! Every word on that paper is the truth!"

"Every word, huh?", said Renna.

Plutia was feeling hopeful. "Please stay here! I'll even stay up with you two! You can ask me questions, we can play some games, eat some food, and find out more about each other! How does that sound?"

Renna smiled. "It sounds wonderful, Plutia."

"That's so cooooool! I love you two already!", stated Plutia, with a heartfelt smile. They were both shocked by these words. In the meantime, Plutia had ran up to Gil and given him a big hug. He was startled by this, and Renna was offput by Plutia's actions. "Hey, no funny business, Plutia!", said Renna.

Still in the hug, Plutia turned her head to face Renna. She had on a wide, delighted smile. "I know… I'm just so happy…! I'm so, so happy! I've been worrying about this the entire day!" She was crying into Gil now.

Renna was disturbed by this action, similar to the last time, but she controlled herself with great difficulty. "Yeah, just cry into him while hugging him, I don't care or anything…", spoke Renna, sarcastically.

"I… I'm sorry… I'm just so, so, so very happy right now! You two are my friends, so this makes me happy!"

Gil put his hands on Plutia's shoulders and separated the hug. "We both know that you're very happy, Plutia."

"Are you two happy? Please, tell me you are!", asked Plutia, with tearmarks down her cheeks.

"We are."

"We're very happy right now, Plutia.", added Renna.

"Yay! I'm so excited! So what do you guys want to-"

Renna's face went blank. "Which is why we're also very sorry about this."

Plutia was very surprised. "…Huh?"

Gil closed his eyes. "Sorry."

In an instant, Renna had moved towards Plutia and put her hand to her face. "Sleep." Plutia felt weak and began to fall over. Gil still had a hold on her as he gently lowered her to the ground. She was lying on the floor, facing the windows.

Gil then cut his palm with a knife he'd found in the kitchen and threw it next to Plutia. He held his hand out to Renna, who touched it. She transformed after waiting a few seconds.

Plutia, falling into a forceful slumber, reached out to them. "Please… don't go… Renny…"

Gil faced the window. "Sorry."

"…Gilly…"

Renna held her arm out and blasted the large window with a wave of darkness, shattering it and causing wind to blow inside. She picked up Gil, and with a final look back at Plutia, they flew off into the night sky.

The last thing that Plutia saw before falling asleep was the two of them disappearing into the distance. The two of them…

Renny… Gilly…

Her two newest friends…

* * *

…**Mostly fluffy. Besides that end part.**

**I tried out many different perspectives in this chapter, and I hope that they all turned out good.**

**I hope that I got the characters to be well-within character as well. Like with Neptune and Noire, and their whole friendship. Neptune is always teasing, Noire is always embarrassed, but they do help each other out a lot. Like how Neptune did.**

**Same with Nepgear and Uni. Uni is a little less Tsun than Noire, so I hope I conveyed that well.**

**What else… Rom and Ram.**

**I enjoyed their part. They don't get enough attention from any other stories, at least the ones I've read, so I want them to actually be important in this story. You know, seeing as they're GODDESSES. I hope their part was fun to read. Writing from the perspective of a kid, or two, is actually quite fun to do sometimes. **

**Plutia… with her decision to change a bit, and try be less violent. I really hope that I conveyed it well. I feel like it's something she could do, so I hope it doesn't seem out of character. Her willingness to be friends with Renna and Gil, too. I feel that she's like that.**

**Let me know! Leave a review, an opinion, a thought, or anything similar, if you want.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you'll enjoy all the future ones as well!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	10. Analysis

**Hello again! I apologize for how long this chapter has taken! Just school stuff, like tests and whatever. **

**Just know that I will not drop this series for any circumstances. I will always be working on it, whether it be actually typing it out or just thinking. ****In fact, I've already started working on the next one, so don't expect to wait as long as this one!**

**Anyway…**

**To reading my story, and hopefully enjoying it! **

**Have fun!**

* * *

**Chapter 9:**

"Gil…"

"Yes."

"What're we gonna do now?"

"I don't know for certain. For now, I've thought of two options."

"And are they both good?"

"Depends how you look at them."

"Well how do you look at them?"

"One of them seems highly unlikely. The other one seems extreme."

"…Oh. That's… not a very good selection."

"Exactly. Let's sit down somewhere, and I'll tell you."

It was morning in the Ultradimension, and these two siblings were near the outskirts of Planeptune city. They had found a secluded cliff side overlooking the city, with a forest behind them. Renna pointed out to a spot. "That place looks nice. Let's rest up over there, Gil."

"Sure."

Renna took her position by the edge of the cliff, her legs dangling over it. Gil had sat down next to her, slightly away from the edge.

"So go on, tell me.", said Renna.

"Okay. I'll start with the improbable one."

"Great."

"We'll have to somehow find a way to get to Rei without letting the CPUs catch wind of us. We have to do it quickly, quietly, and definitely not as showy as before."

"Yeah, that seems difficult."

"The other one is difficult in its own way as well. You definitely won't like this"

"Oh, even better."

"We'll have to find a way to get the other Goddesses out of commission, whether that means convincing them, incapacitating them, or…"

"…killing them."

"…Yes."

Renna sighed and gazed out at the city. It was under the rule of Plutia, the gentle looking CPU. Plutia had been so kind to them, so welcoming and accepting of them, even after all that happened. Renna couldn't say that she forgave her for what she did to Gil, but she had definitely redeemed herself, somewhat.

The thought of killing her seemed… like an act of betrayal, almost. To turn to violence against such a friendly person seemed like something that should never happen. That girl went on and on about how she wanted to be both of their friends, and how she already considered them friends. She practically already welcomed them into the group, into their little family. She said that she loved them.

"Renna."

"Ah, uh, yes! Sorry, just daydreaming."

"We'll have to use our weapons next time. More of our magic as well. No more holding back."

"Gil… I really don't want to kill them. That'll cause so much more trouble for everyone! There'll be nations without any Goddesses! The people will have nobody to defend them!"

"I don't want that either. That's why it's our absolute last option. We only do that if we're in a life or death situation. Just make sure that that doesn't happen, alright?"

"Alright. I'll be sure."

They looked out to the city again. It was so lively, and yet so laid back. It seemed like a much better place to live in than Tari.

"Gil?"

"Yes."

"What's after Rei?"

"I'm not sure. That's up to you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'll do whatever you want. We can live peacefully, go on adventures, or even found a nation."

"You really do mean everything…"

"Yes. I do."

They sat there for some time, watching the few clouds in the sky. They looked light, which hopefully meant that there would be no rain today. They listened to the wind, smelling the scents it brought along with it. It carried the smell of the plants, the animals, and of so many other things that couldn't be identified.

Gil was the first to get up. "We should get going. We've rested enough."

"Where are we going first?"

"That's your decision."

"I… I kinda just want to lay low for a while. We've done a lot over the past few days."

"Okay. Do you want to set up here, or…?"

"Here is fine. It's not too far from the city, it's got a great view of the buildings and the sky, and it's secluded. This is nice."

"Okay. Help me set up then."

They went to work at setting up their temporary base. How long they would stay there, only they knew. But for now, this place provided them with a respite. They would rest for however long and regain their strength. They would need it.

* * *

**Leanbox, Hyperdimension:**

Vert had fallen asleep in the early hours of the morning after spending a few hours gaming productively. She and her guild had performed another successful raid and had reaped great rewards. She was proud to be the leader of such a gifted group of people, especially since they all worked splendidly together. After all, teamwork was the key to success in these games.

She had other things on her mind at the moment. She remembered that she had thought to investigate further into Renna and Gil well before she even knew both of their names. It seemed even more important now that she was aware of what they were.

Vert doubted that her group knew the full extent of their abilities. Neither of them seemed to possess any weapons. At least, it seemed that way. Every CPU had their specific weapon. It was practically a part of their Goddess forms. They had to have. They were probably just storing them in… whatever space CPUs saved their weapons in, choosing not to show them.

Were they holding back? Vert was unsure of this. Renna seemed intent on harming each and every one of the CPUs when she was transformed. Maybe if Gil was in a worse state, she would've made to kill them. What a dreadful thought…

But her Goddess form… She had to touch her brother's blood? It was similar to one of those fantasy creatures in fairy tales… vampires. But then why was it limited to his blood only? Her Goddess form didn't look much different from the regular ones. Her outfit was skintight, her gloves were sharp, and the whole outfit had a glow to it.

But then… what was the boy? Rei had said that they were both half-CPUs. Renna could transform into one, but Gil hadn't exhibited any intentions of doing so. Was he unable to do so? Or did he just not want to?

This was like one of those detective games that were released every once in a while. You had to enter the scenario, find any clues or hints, and make some decisions based off of them, with consequences. Only now, the consequences were very real.

How would she start her investigations? To Vert's knowledge, the pair was still in the Planeptune of Ultradimension, so that was as great a place as any. She would question them herself, even though she knew that she would not find out everything. She would gain as much knowledge on them as she could, no matter how unimportant it might seem. Knowing your opponent is part of the battle.

She would also get to see Plutia. The two of them didn't interact much, so it was a great opportunity to deepen their bond, as well. She tried calling Plutia through a direct and private channel. There was no answer. Vert guessed that the dimensional gap was still hampering standard communication.

She'd just have to go there as a surprise. She would be welcomed, surely. Vert had her mind made up. She would leave in a few minutes. Vert got dressed into her usual, regal looking attire. She ate a simple breakfast, made some of her exquisite tea, and went online to view some of the news. It covered standard, everyday occurrences. The shifting of shares, new game announcements and a few happenings here and there. It was as if nothing had changed.

The public still had no idea of what was happening. Vert suspected that that would soon end, with how their most recent conflict ended in the Ultradimension. Although it was in such a small place, the road was upheaved, buildings were damaged and conflict was clearly the cause. They would have to deal with it somehow.

Having had ample time to prepare, Vert made her way out. While walking down the hallways in her Basilicom, Vert had a wonderful idea. She was going to call someone else to join her. She scrolled through her contacts and almost immediately found who she would ask to join her. She dialed the number, only waiting a few moments before it was answered.

"Hello, Vert."

"Good morning, Blanc. How are you this day?"

"I'm fine. What's this about?"

"Firstly, do you happen to be busy at all, today?"

"Besides the twins and I training, not really. Why?"

"I was wondering if you would perhaps join me for the day."

"What for?"

"I want to go to the Ultradimension. I would like to question Renna and Gil."

"Hmmmm… I suppose I can. I'll just have to tell Rom and Ram. I'm sure they'll just train by themselves."

"Yes, I do think that as well. They can take care of themselves quite well, it seems."

"Yeah. Just give me a few minutes, I'll meet you by the portal."

"Okay. I'll be waiting, Blanny."

"Don't call me that."

The call was cut, and Vert had a small smile. "Why is it so easy to push her buttons?"

* * *

**Lastation, Hyperdimension:**

Nepgear awoke to the sound of silence. She looked up at the ceiling, noticing that only a few rays of light breached the room. She turned her head, preemptively talking to Uni. "Good morning, Uni…" Uni was still fast asleep. Nepgear looked at the time, and noticed that it was eight o' clock in the morning. They had had about… seven or eight hours of rest. That was enough for them.

Nepgear gazed at the sleeping marksman for a while, with no particular reason or intention. Uni wasn't often seen in this position, even by her very own sister. The fact that Uni and her were so close was something that Nepgear held close to her heart. Nepgear was Uni's first friend, and Uni was Nepgear's first friend, at least the first that she had made herself. IF and Compa were sort of a package deal with Neptune.

Speaking of which, where were IF and Compa? They were probably just busy with their own busy lives. Goddesses weren't the only people hard at work, after all.

Nepgear realized that she had been staring for quite some time, and that Uni had shifted over to face her. She was still fast asleep, and Nepgear had a clear view of her relaxed face. She kept staring. If Uni were to suddenly wake up, it would be so embarrassing… But… Why would it be? They're just… very close friends, so it should be fine.

Not willing to risk it any longer, Nepgear rose from her bed. She slowly walked over to Uni's bed and sat down on the edge of it.

She gently placed her right arm on Uni's side, eliciting a quiet noise. "Uni…" She shook her gently. "Uni… wake up…"

Uni started to stir. Her eyes instantly went to Nepgear's bed, and upon spotting nobody there, and a humanoid shape on her bed, she hastily looked at Nepgear, shifting away from her. "Nepgear! Geez… y-you didn't have to scare me, you know? I just woke up…"

After giggling for a second, Nepgear apologized to Uni. "I'm sorry, Uni. I didn't mean to scare you… I just thought that it would be easier to wake you up this way."

"I guess… You didn't have to sit so close to me, though."

"Sorry. And what about the other thing?"

"…What… "other" thing?"

"Oh, nothing, nevermind that.", spoke Nepgear, pulling her right hand closer to herself.

"O…kay?"

"Yeah."

Uni eyed nepgear with slight suspicion, although she quickly brushed it off. "Well, uh… we should… get ready."

"Okay!"

They both got up from Uni's bed and made their way out. Uni lead the way for the both of them, heading towards where they would make breakfast. They made waffles and coffee. After that, they sat down at a very large table which Uni had brought them to. Uni sat on one end of the table, and Nepgear sat next to her.

"Uni, this table is very… spread out. Where does your sister normally sit?"

"Oh, um… at the opposite end…"

"Really?"

"Yeah…"

"That's so…"

"It's fine, Nepgear. We're getting better."

"That's good to hear. But still…"

"Nepgear, you don't have to tell me."

"…Sorry."

They ate the rest of their breakfast in silence. They finished quickly and got prepared for the coming day. The two of them got cleaned up, got properly clothed, and were all set to go.

"So… what are we going to do, Uni?"

"I thought that maybe I'd… we'd start training. You know, with closer range weapons?"

"If you want to."

"I do. Let's go."

They walked towards a training area. Uni posed a question halfway through. "So, Nepgear… Did you bring any weapons for me?"

"Me? Um… maybe a few… I'm not sure what you'd like to try, though."

"What do you think I'd like?"

"I… maybe we should get to the area, first."

"Fine."

They made their way through the quiet halls, their shoes making sound with every step. Nepgear looked around as they walked. "Is it usually this quiet?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

They arrived at their area. It was a large indoor structure. The floor was covered in a smooth, soft material so that nobody would get badly injured from falling over on it. The covering was black and the walls were grey. Small lights dotted the ceiling every few meters, supplying enough light without being an issue. The room was large enough for them to fly around and was clearly built with this in mind.

"Have you decided yet?", asked Uni.

"I'm still thinking… Is there anything that you could tell me to make it easier?"

"Yeah, fine. Um… I'd like it to be something different from anything our group has."

"Okay…"

"Since it's me we're talking about, it should be fast and quick to make available…"

"Hmmm…"

"Maybe a knife? It's similar to a sword, but it's quicker and shorter."

"A knife? Yeah… I can see why you'd use that. It's like what a thief would use!"

"Gee, thanks."

"I meant like what you played as in that MMO."

"Oh yeah. I guess you're right. We should start practicing with one."

"Yeah! You can try out any techniques on me."

"Sure."

For the next few hours, Uni learnt how to efficiently swap from her rifle to her knife. Along the way, she tried using a knife and a handgun together, and was warming up to the combination. "I think I like it. I can constantly pressure people in close range combat and eventually set myself up for longer ranges."

"Yes, it's perfect! I'm glad you found something good for you."

"Me too. I'll have to get my own knife made. I'll commission it now. Let's get going."

Uni and Nepgear, after a few minutes, both walked through to an office like area where they could order custom weapons. Uni customized how her knife would look like. It was slightly longer than an average pistol. It was black, smooth, and had a light blue, similar to the blue on her dress, on the sharp edges and in the middle of the knife. The handle was grey and had a very small guard.

"It suits you, Uni."

"Thanks."

"So, what now?"

"We can, uh… we can maybe… go out for something to eat, if you want…"

"Oh, yes! That's a great idea."

"We should go get cleaned up first."

The two were sweating from a productive training session. Naturally, they got changed into cleaner sets of clothing. They then left the Basilicom, intending to spend the rest of their day out and about the city until their sisters would call them.

* * *

**Planeptune, Ultradimension:**

"You knock.", said Blanc.

"Why me? Aren't you trying to be friendlier?", said Vert.

"It suits you more."

"Fine." Vert knocked on the door leading to the living quarters which Plutia lived in. There was no response for some time. "Maybe she's not here?"

"Just do it again."

Vert raised her hand to knock again, but as she was about to, it suddenly opened. They were greeted by a frantic looking Histoire. "Vert! Blanc! It's great that you're here! Please, hurry inside!"

"Is something the matter, Histoire?", asked Vert.

"An emergency?", added Blanc.

"Well… yes. Please, come inside."

The two companions entered the quarters.

"Hello Verty, Blanny…" Resting on the couch was Plutia. Vert and Blanc instantly knew that something was wrong, as Plutia had not greeted them in her usual, happy tone. She was also not smiling.

Vert looked at her with worried eyes. "Plutia? Is everything alright?"

"No… No, it's not."

"What happened?", asked Blanc.

"The pair… Renny and Gilly… They escaped…"

Both guests were surprised. "What?!"

Histoire held the bridge of her nose. "I told Plutia to bind them so many times, and this is why…"

"They weren't restrained?! What?! Why would you do that?!", shouted Blanc. She was furious. They had made quite the effort to procure them, and to hear that they weren't even properly contained was too much for her.

Vert held her hand out to Blanc. "Please calm down, Blanc. Getting angry won't fix anything." Vert was also peeved, but she knew why Plutia had requested them to be free, even if she didn't wholeheartedly agree.

Blanc rested her arm on the couch. "I already know that. Just tell us what happened already."

"O-Okay… They woke up during the night and I heard them. I went to find them, and they were here, in this room. They put me to sleep and broke open the window." Plutia looked towards one of the wide windows. It had already been repaired by the Basilicom workers. She looked saddened.

"Anything else?", asked Vert.

"They… We spoke with each other. They were nice to me…" Plutia was slightly smiling as she mentioned this.

"So… they were nice to you, but they put you to sleep…", commented Blanc.

"I'll tell you the whole thing now… They read this note I wrote for them. I said how I wanted to be their friend soooo much. They said that… that they were happy. They said that it was wonderful news! But then… then, when I hugged Gilly…"

Blanc raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?!"

"Should you really be so close to them this soon, Plutia?", asked Vert.

"It worked out fine… Anyway, Renny rushed to me and put me to sleep. Gilly then cut his hand, and Renny touched it. She transformed and blasted the window. I remember them flying off, and then I went blank."

"And what of Rei? Is she still alright?", asked Vert.

"Yes, she's fine. She was taken to a special hospital and should be fine in a few days."

"Thank goodness…", mumbled Blanc.

"Plutia, would you still happen to have the knife? With the blood still on it?", asked Vert.

"Y…Yes. It's on the table… Why?"

"I would like to analyze its contents. We may be able to find out why it is that Renna has to touch Gil's blood."

Blanc nodded. "Yeah, more clues would be great."

There was a moment of silence before Vert spoke. "But enough of that, we also came here for you, Plutia."

"Me?"

"Yes. I thought that we could spend some time with you after questioning the two, but as that does not seem possible, we can skip straight to it."

"That's so nice… You're so nice, Verty!"

"Thank you. Now, what games should we play?"

Blanc rolled her eyes. "Does it always have to be games, Vert?"

"Why, it's great bonding. There isn't a problem, is there, Blanny?" Vert had on a sly smile.

Blanc's eye gave a slight twitch. "N…No, there isn't, Vert."

"That's great news."

"And don't call me that."

"But Plutia can?"

"Yeah! I can! Yaaay!", exclaimed Plutia.

"She's… ditzy. It's different. It's not meant to annoy me."

Very dramatically placed a hand to her chest. "My, my, Blanny. Who says that I do it to annoy you?"

"Shut up."

The trio played some games on Plutia's console. It was refreshing for both Vert and Blanc to play a few simpler, retro-like games. They mostly played co-operatively. All the while, Vert and Blanc would ask a few questions about the incident, so much so that they eventually heard the entire story.

Vert thought to herself about the knife and how she would conduct thorough research on it when she arrived home. She would analyze every single particle of the blood to find any sort of special property in it. When she would arrive home, she did not know. After all, maybe she would spend some more time with Blanc back in Hyperdimension. Maybe.

* * *

**Near Planeptune, Ultradimension:**

Gil and Renna had finished with their preparations. The area was fully scouted, and they had made a few adjustments to the surrounding area to suit their needs. They were sitting on a fallen over log. Both of them were on top of it. Renna had her arms to her side, pressed against the bark. Gil had his arms on his knees.

"Renna."

"Yup?"

"Do you have a clearer image of how long you want to stay here for?"

Renna put her arms behind her head. "I guess. Maybe a few days. Two or three at most. We might even leave tomorrow."

"Okay."

"And you're really okay with that?"

"Completely."

"That's… good. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine."

"You sure? Your blood not giving ya any problems?"

"I've told you plenty of times, a bit of blood loss won't kill me."

"You said that last time, even when you did lose a lot…"

Gil looked away before answering. "…I know. I'm sorry. You don't have to worry."

Renna leaned forward slightly. "No, seriously Gil. You need to tell me when you're feeling ill. I could transform and take care of you."

"I'm fine. You don't need to do all that for me. The process is… painful, enough."

"Fine. For now, I'll let it slide."

"Thank you."

Renna nodded at Gil, letting a slight breeze go past. "What is there to do around here?"

"I saw some plants you might like. You can go pick them later."

"And I can decorate this place!"

"Yes."

"I can place the colourful ones around the place we sleep. I'll place singular coloured ones lining the tree branches, I'll place the multi-coloured ones around where we put our heads, I'll place some green, plain looking ones around our bodies…" Renna continued with her plan for a few minutes. "It'll look great!"

"I know."

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"What're you going to do?"

"I'll watch you."

"Really?"

"It's good enough for now. There isn't much to do besides look at the view, for me at least. This area is peaceful, there aren't any monsters around."

"I guess…"

"I'll prepare supper later. What do you want?"

"Hmmmm… What do we have?"

"Nothing extravagant. I'll probably just boil us a few vegetables and add some spices. I'll then do some rice."

"Well if it's your cooking, it's sure to be good!"

"If you say so."

"Yeah. Hey, another thing…"

"Yes?"

"Want me to cut your hair later?"

"What for? Don't tell me…"

"Yeah, it's happening again. Your strands are starting to show."

Gil reached up to his hair. He could not bring them far down his face, but he could pull them down just enough to see the tips of his hair. A few of them were cyan. "Great. Then please do, later."

"Okay! Want any new styles or whatever? I can try some out."

"I'm fine with what I have."

"Okay then."

They both kept looking out at the city. It was still as it was earlier. The sky around it was light. It was early afternoon.

"You still know how to use your weapons?", asked Gil.

"Of course! They're not just for show, you know?"

"Just wondering. We haven't had a reason to use them in quite some time."

"I know, it's weird. But yeah, I'm fine. How about yours?"

"Still good. We should practice later."

"If ya want. Do you mean against each other, or…?"

"Whatever you want. Sparring or not, it'll be useful."

"We can spar. Hone our skills and whatnot."

"Okay."

"Cool! Hey, wanna explore the forest together? Maybe we'll find something useful, or pretty, or amazing!"

"Sure, why not."

They both got up, and set out into the forest.

"Some of these places look so beautiful, Gil. They're so nice to walk through. It's nice to not worry about anything besides that, now and then."

"Yes. But we can't forget."

"I know, geez. Loosen up sometimes, okay? Even if it's only around me."

"So most of the time."

"Yeah. Most of the time. We're always together."

"We need to be."

"What would you do if only one of us was taken back then?"

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Well if I was the one taken… I would hope that you would sneak in during the night. You'd find a way to the top."

"And if it was me?"

"I… I'd probably try the same thing."

"Really? I figured you'd just try to rush in all guns blazing."

"Trust me, I would consider that. But I know that your way is the better path."

"Thanks."

They walked along a makeshift path through the trees. The trees weren't very close together, so it made traversal easier. "Ahhh… This is nice. Just you and I on a little outdoor adventure." Renna marched enthusiastically.

"It's been like this for a while."

"I know, but it feels different. We don't have any proper objective for today, so exploring for the sake of it is fun, kinda."

"I guess."

"Hey, Gil?"

"Yes?"

"Gimme a piggyback ride."

"Pardon?"

"A piggyback! It's been years since we last did!"

Gil was significantly taller than Renna, but not so much that he towered over her. He was less than a head taller. "Okay. Come, I'll hold under your legs."

"Yay! Thanks." Renna climbed onto his back, putting her arms down his chest and linking them together. Gil held under her legs, keeping them up above the ground.

"Do you want me to walk or run?", asked Gil.

"Maybe… can you run a bit? I want to feel the wind in my face."

"Sure." Gil eased into a quick jog. He was dashing in between the trees, ducking under the branches, constantly looking out for his sister.

"Yippee! It's been ages! It's so relieving.", said Renna, smiling. Gil continued to run. He got faster and faster, and was approaching a full-blown sprint.

They'd made their way deeper into the forest, but had found a small hill without any trees on it. Gil slowed down to a stop on top of it.

There was a slight breeze. Small yellow and white flowers dotted the hill. They were gently swaying in the wind, and an assortment of butterflies was moving between them. The butterflies were orange, yellow, purple and pink, with a variety of patterns. It felt magical.

Renna formed her arms into a hug around Gil and lowered her head onto Gil's right shoulder, next to his ear.

"Thank you, Gil."

He nodded, and they admired the fantasy around them. Serenity was abundant here in this untouched portion of paradise. "Just tell me when you want to go back, Renna." There was no response. "Renna?"

Gil could hear her breathing softly, slowly, and calmly. She was asleep. "How did she manage that?" He enjoyed this feeling. It was him and his sister. His only sister.

It was just like all those years ago. Gil smiled. He felt both happiness and sadness at that point. He gently got onto his knees and lowered Renna onto the grass. He looked at her for a few seconds, comparing her to a fairytale princess. They stayed like that for a few minutes. Gil could hear birds chirping above them as they passed over.

He then picked her up in his arms, holding her in front of him and slowly made his way back to their temporary camp. He would make sure that they would have the opportunity to do things like this again. To be at peace, to be so happy with their lives. He had vowed to make it so.

He would make it so.

* * *

**Planeptune, Hyperdimension:**

Noire and Neptune had both committed themselves to some training for the day. They practiced in their human forms, Goddess forms, and then one Human, one Goddess. It was more endurance training than anything. They wanted to last longer and hit harder. They had to be quicker, more observant, and less susceptible to surprises. Overall, it was a day well spent.

"That was actually… quite productive. I'm surprised, Neptune.", said Noire.

"Hey, I said I'd train, so I did!"

"Maybe you should train more often."

"That's… a maybe! Maybe if I could train more with you."

"Why me? Just train by yourself, or with Nepgear."

"But you're, like, a fully fledged Goddess! My eternal rival! My partner in crime! The Bonnie to my Clyde!"

"Some of those don't match up, Neptune…"

"It doesn't matter, Noirey! What matters is that we're a great teeeeaaaam! We should have more dual-attacks…"

"I… guess. Maybe."

"She agrees! Wonderful!"

"Again with the overreactions…"

"But it's not…"

"Whatever. So… What now?"

"Now? Ummm…" Neptune thought for a moment. They were sitting on a couch in Neptune's quarters. Neptune's feet were dangling over and she was swinging them back and forth. "How about you decide?"

"Me?! Why?"

"Cus I think you should. Let's do what you want to do."

"I… suppose. We can… umm…"

"Games?"

"No, we did that earlier."

"Food?"

"We could, I suppose. But aren't I supposed to be the one making the decision?"

"Right… Sorry."

"We can… maybe we could go to a clothes shop…"

"Ooooooh… You wanna go there for cosplay, don't you? You wanna make me put on some skimpy clothing, don't you?!"

"As if I'd ever! No, it doesn't always involve cosplay!"

"Just checking."

"Gosh… Maybe we could get some new clothes. We're usually wearing the same outfits, so a little variety is nice once in a while."

"Is that supposed to break the fourth wall, or…?"

"No, it's not. I just thought that it would be nice to be seen in differing clothing."

"Well I sure hope the author does a good job describing them! Imagine if the readers didn't know what our new outfits looked like? That'd be a major failure."

"…Sure."

"When're we going?"

"We can go now, I guess."

"We'll probably be there for a while, won't we?"

"I-I suppose. It might even be dark out…"

"Hmmm. I suppose. What a shame."

"Yeah… I guess."

"Yes, you do."

"So…"

"So?"

"What do you think should happen?"

Neptune knew why Noire was leading her on like this. She knew exactly why, but she wanted Noire to say it. She looked towards Noire with a small smile. "I don't know."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. You know me, all oblivious and stuff."

"I guess… that's true."

"And I guess that means you'll have to go home afterwards."

Noire was quiet. She was looking at Neptune in a hopeful way.

"What's with that look? Ya wanna ask me something?" A wide smile appeared on Neptune's lips.

"N-No… Not at all…"

"Then I suppose we should get going."

"It's just that…"

"I thought you said you didn't want to ask me any questions?"

"How did you… Ugh, shut up."

"So there is something."

"No… Maybe… Fine, yes, there is, geez."

"Care to… spill the beans?"

"Just stop talking!"

"My lips are sealed." Neptune made a motion as if she was zipping her mouth, locking it, and throwing away the key.

"You're really something, aren't you?"

Neptune nodded vigorously, her smile even wider.

"Fine… I was wondering if… maybe…" Neptune got closer to Noire. "Maybe I could…" Even closer. "…Stay another night?"

Neptune practically burst out with her next line. "Yeah, Noire, I'd love that! I was going to ask earlier, but then you decided to ask first. How forward of you."

"Then why didn't you just ask me sooner?!"

"Because I enjoy teasing you."

"Goddess protect me…"

"You want me to protect you, Noire? How? How should I protect you? Am I the shining knight, and you the dainty princess? What kind of implications does that implicitly imply?"

"Just… Just shut up already! Do you ever give it a rest?!"

"Yeah. When I'm sleeping."

"Figures…"

"Yeah. Wow, look at how much time you've wasted asking me if you could stay over again. Procrastination is a no-go, ya know?"

"As if I need you to tell me that. Your whole life basically revolves around procrastination."

"I don't know what you mean~."

"Can we get going already?"

"Sure, lead the way!"

* * *

**Leanbox, Hyperdimension:**

Vert decided to head back home, and she had convinced Blanc to accompany her. She said that it was so that they both found out about the information, but it was also so that they could spend more time together. It was Vert's idea, and Blanc picked up on it halfway through. Neither of them minded, though.

"So we're heading straight to your… whatever place you go to in order to analyze stuff, right?", asked Blanc.

"Correct. It should not take long, ten minutes at most. Our technology is quite advanced."

"Yeah, yeah, I already know."

"Wonderful."

They were walking down the hallways of the Basilicom in an area often used by scientists. Vert had requested private use of it, and as such, not many employees were spotted around. The ones that were present were either fully engrossed in their work or greeted the both of them with a mixture of admiration, surprise and happiness.

Blanc looked around with a blank face. "I'm not usually seen here with you. Must be surprising to them."

"Quite. I think that they are also aware of our… jokes. Particularly…"

"Yeah, Vert, pretty sure the entire world and beyond has become aware of that." Blanc spoke with a slightly frustrated voice. It also held a tinge of sadness, barely recognizable.

"I apologize. I do not mean any harm when I make any… comments."

Blanc's eyes drooped slightly. "That doesn't make it hurt less…"

Vert made a pained expression. "I… I apologize, once more. Please, do not look like that. It doesn't suit your face."

"Yeah, sure."

"I mean it, Blanc. I think that you're fine as is."

Blanc's face blushed slightly. She looked at Vert with a suspicious glare. "What's with that? What're you trying to do? Don't be weird."

"I'm not being weird. I'm just being myself."

"Well you're weird."

"You might say so. That just proves how close we are, yes?"

"Hmph."

"You know, quite a portion of the community sees us as a great pair. Of course, I don't mean that in a weird way."

"…Still is."

"I happen to agree with them on some fronts. We do make a great team. You take the position of tank and heavy hitter, and I fill the role of the fast, precise striker. We both use magic, yet in much different ways. We fill all the required classes besides healer."

"Did you really just compare our styles to an MMO?"

"Yes, I suppose I did."

"Hmph. Whatever, I already know that.", said Blanc. She was looking forward, her face as stoic as ever.

"I'm glad. We are close friends, are we not?"

"…I suppose."

"Really?"

Blanc grit her teeth. "Yeah, I just said that!"

Vert gave Blanc a sudden and quick hug. "Yay, that's wonderful news!" Blanc stood there and took the bodily assault. She had on a slightly disappointed gaze. She did not actually feel that way though, and smiled to herself when Vert was pulling away.

They kept walking, and were approaching their destination. "Ah, it looks like we are here.", stated Vert.

"Mmm…"

Vert opened the door and held it for Blanc. They both entered.

It was a large room. The walls were black, the tables and chairs were white, and the whole room was clean smelling. Almost every piece of furniture had some sort of neon green line through it, and the walls were separated into segments by longer versions of these lights. Many different apparatus was present for many, many different types of experiments.

"So where do we go?", asked Blanc.

"We are going into a separate room. It's at the back."

They made their way through the different work stations. Blanc was looking around, noting how many different types of equipment was present. Vert really did run a hard working nation, even if she did seem a little lazy at times. "Hmmm, Blanc? Admiring my work, or are you trying to spy on my nation?", teased Vert.

"As if I'd do that. We're friends, you know."

"It's great to hear you say that."

"…Mmm."

They arrived at a mechanical door. Vert input some sort of password onto a keypad and entered through. It was a dark room lit up by green neon lights. The room itself was circular, and in the middle was a large, cylindrical tube spanning from its elevated platform to the roof. Many different work stations were situated around the platform, each with a computer set up.

"What… do you even do here, Vert?"

"This is where we do the analysis. We deposit the material into that tube, where it will be analyzed."

"Even something as small as that knife?"

Vert summoned the knife from… wherever it is that Goddesses weapons appear from, and held it out in front of her. It still had the blood on it. "Yes. Even something as small as this.", said Vert, looking at the knife.

Vert walked towards a mechanical contraption and opened up a small, tube-like container. She set the knife inside it and closed it. With a few button presses, the tube disappeared into the machine. The knife was then visible in the large tube, floating inside of it. Immediately, a few arm-like machines reached out to it and held it in place. One was scanning it and another took a small portion of the blood.

"The entire machine is devoted to the analysis of any foreign substance entering the tube. It is incredibly thorough.", explained Vert.

"How long did you say it would take?"

"No longer than ten minutes."

"So we wait."

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Mmm."

They sat down on some office chairs, facing each other.

"So Blanc, let's talk."

"About what?"

"Anything."

"Fine."

* * *

**Near Planeptune, Ultradimension:**

Gil had arrived at their base a while ago. He had placed Renna down on a piece of soft grass, and she was still asleep. She needed the rest. He sat down next to her. There wasn't much of a view from where he was sitting, but it was still nice. He looked down at her and brushed a few strands of her hair off her face.

The necklace she wore was still there, and it was shining as bright as ever. It was a gift that he made for her. She treasured it greatly and she never took it off. Not when she was sleeping, cleaning, or even fighting. It didn't get in the way, which was convenient. It was like a crystal rainbow. It constantly shone, even in the dark. The way the colours changed gave it the impression of liquidity, but it was definitely solid.

He thought back to how he made it. It was practically a part of himself. She held a piece of him around her at all times, and in such high regards. That thought was enough for him. And yet she had eventually given him a gift, too.

He moved his right hand to the left of his long pants and felt a cold, metal sensation. He unclipped the chain and held it in front of his face. It was a silver chain with a turquoise crescent moon at the end of it. How fitting. This was his devotion to her. He also never took this off when possible. He placed it back to its home at the side of his waist.

Gil saw that Renna was still sleeping when he suddenly had an unnerving thought. He had been the liability on three separate occasions, each within the last few days. The first, when the CPUs arrived. They were taken by surprise and Gil had gotten slightly injured. That green haired CPU had cut his arm. Who was that… her name was Vert, if he recalled correctly. He also took a paralyzing bullet for his sister, from the smaller, black haired girl… Uni. It wasn't major, and he didn't regret stepping in front of his sister. That cut on his arm had actually worked for them. It allowed Renna to transform.

The second time was when they had kidnapped the small fairy, Histoire. They had started off so well, and had subdued three of the CPUs. But it all went downhill. He had gotten cut on his arm again. His sister had also been wounded, and it was all because of him. He had failed to protect her. She even used magic in her tired state. It was because of him. He was beaten by that white haired Goddess… Raven. Noire. She put him onto his knee, and then to the floor. He failed to protect her a second time.

The third time, yesterday. That girl, Plutia, had beaten him. He was wounded on his shoulder and his legs. He could've done much better, he knew that he could, and he was deeply aggravated by this. By himself. He had been a liability. He cannot allow that to happen again. He calmed himself down and looked at his sister. She did not think of him as a liability, so he should not think that of himself. She was so kind to him.

Gil got up after a while and looked around their area. He thought about how he should get started with supper, and so, he commenced his preparations.

* * *

**Planeptune, Hyperdimension:**

"We're home! That didn't take long at all.", said Neptune.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe like an hour, or just under.", spoke Noire.

"Okay, okay, let's start with the explaining! The next scene has some juicy information in it, so we should make this quick! Gimme the deets on your new sheets!"

"You're so weird."

"Thanks."

"Anyway... I'll go put them on now."

"Sure!"

Noire walked into the bathroom carrying a few bags. She took a few minutes, and came out in her new attire looking bashful. "It's nothing spectacular..."

The colour scheme was nothing new, but it was a change from her usual outfit. She had on a dark red shirt, similar to her usual one. Only this time, it had very small, fine, light blue lines going across it in its entirety. It exposed a bit of her collarbones.

Over that, she had on a black jacket with the sleeves reaching to her wrists and the main part of it not extending past her waist. It wasn't bulky and still showed off her figure. It could be closed with buttons, but Noire was wearing it open. The cuffs by her hands were outlined in a silver colour.

She wore a short skirt, slightly longer than her usual one. It was red with small black lines running down it, positioned not too close to each other. It wasn't as frilly as her usual one, but wasn't completely straight. She had on stockings that were the same colour as her usual ones, but the garter belts were red instead of blue.

Her shoes were high, reaching to her upper-middle calf. They were predominantly red, with white soles, laces and inlays. The tops of her shoes were lined with a light blue colour. They were like high sneakers.

And that was it. Neptune didn't say anything. This worried Noire a small amount. "Uhhh… Neptune? Are you... alright?"

Neptune, looking like she was in a daze, regained her sense of speech. "Holy SMOKES, Noire! You're so hot!"

Noire widened her eyes and had a deep blush. "Wh-Wh-What?!"

"That jacket of yours shows off your thin sides, and that shirt is just... I can't explain it!"

Noire started blushing even more. "Sh-Shut up Neptune! You're so embarrassing!"

"It's not my fault that you look that good."

Noire grabbed a nearby pillow and shoved it into Neptune's face. "Can you stop it with the teasing already?!"

"Please, don't smother me! I'm too cute to die!"

Noire pressed harder for a few seconds, then left Neptune on her back. Neptune lied there for a bit. She eventually got up and was greeted by a very pouty Noire. "Ummm… Sorry?"

"Yeah, you'd better be!"

"Ah! Please don't shout!"

"You're the one always teasing me! And to do it in such a way..."

"Yeah... I'm sorry. Forgive me?", asked Neptune, wearing an innocent smile.

Noire looked at her after a few seconds. She knew that Neptune was a tease and should have expected something like this. But that still didn't make it any easier for her! "Fine. I'll forgive you. Again."

"Yay! You really do look good though. Super sexy and stuff."

Noire blushed again and repeated the pillow incident. "Can you drop it already?! Go get changed, now!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Neptune followed a similar procedure. After a few minutes, she presented herself.

Her top was a long sleeved, light pink shirt. It didn't cover her shoulders, and the sleeves extended to just before her wrists. It had light blue lines on the left and right side of it, and the different edges of it were also lined with that colour.

She wore a skirt that reached before her knees. It was also light blue, and had a few light pink dots on it. It wasn't frilly at all. She had on long socks similar to her usual ones, expect the light blue parts were now light pink. Her shoes were sneakers as well. They weren't as high as Noire's, and they extended just past her ankle. They were light pink with the laces, sole, and inlays being white.

Overall, nothing too extravagant.

"Soooo... what do you think?", asked Neptune, with her hands together, rocking back and forth.

"You're actually wearing a skirt, for once, which is nice."

"Ooooh, your eyes dart there first, of course!"

Noire ignored this comment. "Yeah, it looks nice. It's light and carefree, just like you. It suits you."

"Thanks. I used my head more than usual, so it's nice to hear that."

"I guess..."

"Nothing else to add?"

"Like... what?"

"Well, seeing as how I reacted to you..."

"Never in your wildest dreams."

"Booo…"

They proceeded to the couches.

"So you can sleep over again, right?"

"Y-Yeah... I can... I spoke with Uni, and she said that she'd get Nepgear to stay over again."

"Saves me the trouble."

"I guess."

"What you wanna do now?"

"We can play games, I suppose."

Neptune turned on the console, and they were watching it load up. "So... no more fashion show? We're not putting on anymore clothes?"

Noire thought back to how Neptune reacted and decided to not strain her heart anymore with Neptune's antics. "No, that's enough for today. We've done plenty of showing."

"Then how about... the taking off of clothes?"

Noire reacted in a way similar to when Neptune first commented, except now she was even more embarrassed. "Neptune...!"

"I'm joking, I'm joking!"

"You can't just say those things and expect me to not get embarrassed!"

"I'm sorry!"

"Yeah, you will be!" She then chased Neptune around the living quarters for a few seconds. She grabbed a hold of her and put her over her shoulder. Neptune struggled and struggled, but she could not escape from Noire's iron grip. Noire placed Neptune on the couch and sat next to her.

"You will sit here, next to me. That way, if you say anything else... embarrassing... you won't be able to escape.", threatened Noire.

"You sure you just don't want me to be far away from you?" Noire glared at her. "Joking! I'm joking!"

"Let's just play already..."

"Sure thing!" Neptune chose a co-operative game for them to play, and they would spend the rest of the day playing that. Neptune, although being threatened on multiple occasions, was having fun. Noire, although cold, never did anything major to Neptune when she teased her. Neptune never admitted it, but the both of them knew how close they were. They were the best of friends.

But Noire would not easily say that. What a tsu-

"Neptune, I know what you're thinking. Don't finish that thought if you value your life."

"Yes, ma'am!"

* * *

**Leanbox, Hyperdimension:**

"And… It's done. The results are in.", said Vert.

"It felt like longer than ten minutes."

"That's just the anticipation."

"I know. Bring up the results."

Vert tapped at a large screen. It brought up two options. One was for the knife, and the other was for the blood. "Blanc, how about we guess as to what it is made up of before we see the results?"

Blanc looked at Vert blankly. "Why?"

"It'll be fun, wouldn't it?"

"I suppose."

"Great. I'll start. I think that it'll be mostly contain standard blood, of course. But there will also be some sort of magical energy flowing through it! It'll have some sort of medical property that is incredibly rare that grants the host special powers."

"You're delusional."

"It was just a fun guess. But on a serious note, mostly standard blood. Maybe… maybe it'll have some substance present during the Tari ages?"

"Maybe. I think that it'll also be mostly just standard blood, and the rest will be… Rei's blood. Like a mixture of the two."

"Mmmhmmm, I see. Both are viable, so perhaps one of us may be correct."

"Maybe."

"Ooh, I cannot wait!"

"Then just open the damn thing!"

"No, I cannot! The anticipation is too much for me! You do it!", spoke Vert, giving a girly squeal. Her hands were shaking in an excited manner.

"Come on, Vert! It's just a stupid button! Press the damn thing!", said Blanc, slightly annoyed.

"Then let us do it together!"

"Wha-?!"

Vert took a hold of Blanc's right hand, and thrust it towards the screen. They made contact, and the results showed up. They were both looking at it in surprise, which then turned into something else. Something worse.

"W…What? How is this possible?", spoke Vert.

"I don't know, but it's definitely new."

The results were not overly complicated and were not on a large list. It was brief and easy to understand. His blood was more than ninety percent comprised of Share energy. Tari Share energy. It was as if a Sharicite had leaked into his bloodstream.

"Th-That does give us some sort of explanation, but it's not everything.", spoke Vert.

"It's a great deal of information. This was definitely a great call by you."

"Thank you. But to have this large a quantity in his blood…"

"…He's like a walking Share crystal."

"Exactly. We will need to inform the others when we next meet."

"I agree."

They both left the room and proceeded to the front of the Basilicom. "Well, Blanc, I suppose you need to head back. Don't want to keep the twins waiting, do you?", said Vert.

"Of course not."

Vert looked at Blanc with softer eyes. "Of course."

After a brief silence, Blanc spoke. It was in a quiter tone of voice than usual. "It was fun, though…"

"It was. Thank you, Blanc. For coming, I mean. We should do this again, sometime."

"Mmm."

They both gave each other a small hug, and Blanc transformed. She hovered into the air, and looked back. "Maybe you can come over to my place next time. How about it?"

"I'd love to. Goodbye. Blanc."

"See ya, Vert." They waved to each other, and White Heart departed.

Vert pondered for a few minutes. So Gil's blood was a river of shares… Tari shares… How? Vert thought and thought and came up with possible answers. But none of them could be proven. There was only one way to find out.

Directly from Renna and Gil.

* * *

**Again, I apologize for how long it took. I know where I want the story to go in the future (not everything, though), I just need to think about the roads that lead to it first.**

**Exciting stuff, I can promise you that.**

**I just don't want to rush this story. I don't know how long this story is going to be, but I can definitely tell you that it'll be long! I have plenty of ideas, I just need to fine tune them, and work out how to incorporate them.**

** And you will all get to read through Renna and Gil's backstory at some point, don't you worry. ****A proper, in depth recollection of it. ****That alone will take a few chapters. I just need to find how to incorporate it. ****But again, I don't want to rush it.**

**I've said this a ton, but I want this story to be great! I want it to be a pleasure to read, not something to slog through.**

**So yeah, any and all feedback is REALLY appreciated! Truly, honestly, and wholeheartedly!**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope that you've enjoyed it! I also hope that you'll carry on reading the future entries!**

**Thanks again!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	11. A Day to Get Pudding

**Hello everyone! Double digits for this stories chapter count! That's something to celebrate, right?**

**I know, I know, it's almost been a week. Or maybe it has for some of you. But yeah, school stuff and whatever. I'm also sick, at this time! Yay!**

**Anyway… Some stuff and things go down in this chapter. As it usually does.**

**Anyway…**

**Hope you all enjoy the read!**

* * *

**Chapter 10:**

It was dark. The sky was dark, so very, very dark. It was always like that. Towering buildings, menacing structures with foreboding demeanors. Sharp spikes were present at the top of every building as if to add to the atmosphere.

Civilians walked by in the city, going about their ways with quiet anxiety. All was quiet besides the sounds of legs moving, vehicles running, and machinery working. Each building was dark as well. They were lined with neon blue, cyan. Authorities were present on every street, silently observing every passerby. If anyone looked suspicious according to them, they could bring them in. A tense fog was permanently present in the city.

The surrounding area was not much better. Although not as intimidating, the people hardly spoke to each other when doing their duties. They would be punished if they were caught working slower than expected. The nation of Tari was not a good place to live in, but it did offer secure protection and a stable income if you could handle the stringent protocol.

The areas outside of the city were better, although not under the protection of a tyrannical Goddess. A small community was situated in a small forest, far enough away from the city to not fall prey to the tension. It was a happier place. The people could speak to each other without any reservations. They had technology, but were not quite as futuristic as the city. It was much better, according to these people. They didn't have to constantly fear for their lives.

Monsters were present in the forest, and they would sometimes approach the community. It was hardly ever anything dangerous, but it was always a possibility. These people had to protect themselves.

There was a small hill without any trees somewhere deeper in the forest. Hardly anyone went there, but it was beautiful. It was almost… magical. There were pretty plants and animals. Birds flew overhead, slight winds grazed the grass, and the sturdy trees housed many small beasts. It was a peaceful sanctuary for anything that witnessed it.

It was a peaceful sanctuary for a little girl. She was spinning around and dancing, enjoying the freedom of the wilderness. She spun and spun, and she eventually fell onto her back, onto the grass. She made an impression in the slightly long grass. There were many flowers around her body.

She closed her eyes and listened. Birds, insects, critters, trees, larger animals, the wind… All these things could be heard. It was a melodious song orchestrated by nature itself. If only she could always feel like this…

A different noise was heard. It was a voice. A voice she knew well. It called out to her.

"Renny…"

She woke up, brought back to the land of the living. Her vision was foggy, but it cleared up in a few seconds. She was lying down in the grass, her arms next to herself. The sun was rising. It was early morning.

"Renna…"

She lifted herself up and faced the morning sun. She stretched her limbs back into working order. She let out a small sound of effort as the beams of light touched her skin. "Morning, Gil…"

"How did you sleep?"

"It was fine, yeah. I had a dream."

"Really? What was it about?"

Gil was standing a bit away from Renna, looking out to the city. He walked towards his sister and reached out with his hand. Renna took it and was pulled her to her feet. "Thanks. It was about back then."

"Back then? What about it?"

"I remember… a small hill… it was peaceful and pretty… there weren't any trees on it…"

Gil was slightly surprised by this for an instant, but turned it into a small smile. "What? What's up?", asked Renna.

"Don't you remember? When I gave you that piggyback ride yesterday, I brought you to a place similar to what you just described. You fell asleep soon after we arrived."

"Really? That's… strange…"

"It must've been your sub-conscious. The place must have reminded you of a place back then."

"I guess so…"

"I can take you there later if you want me to."

"No, it's fine. Hearing that you did that is enough for me. Besides, we should leave."

"Okay. How soon?"

"Hmmm… under an hour."

"What do you want to do next?"

"How about we… go get something to eat? Like, in the city?"

Gil was caught off guard, and it showed on his face. "Why in the city? What if the Goddesses find us?"

"It'll be fine! Just a bite to eat! Breakfast and maybe lunch, that's all!"

"I'm not sure, Renna."

"We haven't done something like that in years! Pleeeeaaase? We won't get into trouble, and if we do, we can just escape!"

Gil considered this for a few moments. "I guess no civilians would know who we are, so we're mostly safe."

"Sooooo?"

"Sure, we can go for an hour or two. But we need to decide what's next during that time."

"That's fine with me! Let's get going as soon as possible!"

"Okay."

The two of them worked away at clearing up the area, returning it to its previous state. They took a final glance at the view of the city before starting to move towards the forest, intending to work their way back in the same way they got up the cliff.

They had both started traversing the cliff when Gil asked a question. "What are you planning on ordering?"

"I want… something sweet! Something nice and easy to eat! And I want you to have what I'm having!"

"Do I even have a say in the matter?"

"Of course! But I'm asking you nicely!"

Gil let out an amused huff, brandishing a slight smile. "I'll have what you're having, then."

"Yay! You're amazing, Gilly!" She gave him a brief hug.

"It's just food, Renna."

"But that's not the point! You're always so kind to me, and you're willing to listen to me and all my stuff."

"That's expected. If I didn't, what would that make me? Do you really think I could neglect family?"

"I know, but it's still very nice of you." She gave him a wide smile, a genuine expression full of admiration and gratefulness.

"Thanks."

They walked through the forest, making turns to face towards the city. But this time, it wasn't for Rei. It was for them. They would spend some time together in this new world which they once called home. Then, they would decide on their next action.

Then, it would be for Rei.

* * *

**Planeptune, Hyperdimension:**

Neptune had fallen asleep in front of the TV, on the couch in the living room. She and Noire had stayed up playing games, similar to the night before last. She woke up with a blanket wrapped around her and a proper pillow behind her head. She didn't ever remember falling asleep with these things present…

She smelt the familiar scent of food wafting in from the kitchen. It didn't smell like toast or eggs… It smelt like waffles. It smelt so gooooood…

Neptune, entranced by the sweet aroma, sleepily stumbled her way towards the kitchen. She spotted the chef who was wearing her usual black with white dotted pajamas. She stood near the counter, silently preparing the meal.

Both Neptune and Noire fell asleep late last night, or maybe even this morning. Neptune looked at the time. A clock showed that it was after seven o' clock. That means that Noire had… around seven to six, or maybe even five hours of sleep. And yet here she was, fully awake and ready for the upcoming day. Neptune wondered how she did that all the time. Noire wasn't as bad as Vert, but she still stayed up late finishing work or browsing the web.

"Mornin' Noire."

"Good morning Neptune."

"What time'd ya wake up?"

"Maybe… half an hour ago? Could be longer."

So around six hours of sleep. "How'd you sleep?"

Noire, mostly focused on the food, answered Neptune without looking at her."It was fine. Nothing to complain about."

"That's good to hear."

Neptune's eyes were droopy. She was still mostly asleep. She rubbed her eyes, dispelling her partially fogged up vision. "Is it nearly done?"

"Yeah, give it a minute." They both waited for a moment."…And… done. Go sit down, I'll bring them to the table."

Neptune tipped her imaginary hat. "Much obliged."

Neptune stood next to the table while waiting for Noire. Noire walked over while holding the plate of waffles, as well as a plate for each of them. She walked back to the kitchen and returned a second time with sugar and honey.

Noire sat down first, in a middle chair of the table. Neptune sat opposite her. It wasn't a huge table, so they were still close. Neptune picked up her cutlery. "Hmmm… it smells so nice."

"Well it is MY cooking, so of course it does."

"I bet you do this all the time, don't you?"

"Most days, yes. Sometimes Uni does it."

"I bet you'd make a great housewife."

"I do work, you know?"

"Maybe a little too much sometimes."

"Whatever."

They started eating. The waffles weren't too sweet by themselves, but with the addition of a topping, they tasted just fine. Neptune finished her first plate before Noire, and was onto her second before Noire even finished her first. "If I didn't know you better, I'd say that you were a starved child."

"I practically am. Not many people know this, but Histoire is actually a slave driver."

"Or you're just incredibly lazy."

"No comment."

They continued to eat for a few minutes. The sun was still low, and hadn't risen above the city skyline. After some time, Histoire gently floated in. "Good morning, you two. I hope you both rested well."

"Morning Histy."

"Good morning Histoire."

The fairy floated over to the kitchen and started preparing her small meal. Neptune asked Noire a question once they had both finished eating. "What do you want to do today, Nowaru?"

Noire glared at her for a second. "I don't mind going out. Maybe we could… spend some time with our sisters."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'm not feeling the whole "inside vibe" today."

"Where would we go with Nepgear and Uni…"

"Someplace to eat!"

"…You just ate."

"I know! But eating with more people is always great!"

"Sure, because that's obviously how it works."

"I know you might not know since you're always alone and stuff, but it really does."

"Haha, very funny."

"We could go to the Ultradimension. Maybe invite Plutia."

"Plutia? I don't mind, but… any reason why?"

"Nah. Just feel like it. Also, I want to see if she was successful with her plan."

"Excuse me? Plutia was planning something?"

"Yeah! She wanted to make Renna and Gil her friends."

"As if it would be that easy. You can't just beat the two of them and expect them to become our friends."

"But isn't that kinda sorta similar to what happened with us?"

Noire didn't have a quick comeback. What Neptune said was the truth, so she couldn't fault her. "This is different."

"How?"

"Did they seem like the type to give up on what they wanted to do?"

"I… guess not… but we've done it before!"

"I guess. I hope you're right this time."

"Me too. Do you think we could leave soon?"

"Sure. We should get dressed and cleaned up. You should also tell Histoire first."

"Ah! Good idea." Neptune got up from her chair, moving towards Histoire. Noire went to get changed into her normal clothes. "Hey, Histy?"

"Yes, Neptune? What is the matter?"

"Oh, you know, nothin' much. Just telling you about what we're gonna do today."

"Okay then, go ahead."

"Myself and Noire are planning on going to Plutie's place. We're gonna make our sisters tag along as well. I wanna check up on Renna and Gil."

"Hmm… seems like you've actually given this some thought. Very well, I have no objections."

Neptune fist bumped into the air. "Yesss!"

"Just be careful. I wish you all the best of luck."

"Thanks, Histy! We'll be back later, gator!"

After a few minutes spent readying up, Neptune and Noire said there proper goodbyes. They then set out for Lastation, where their sisters were.

* * *

**Planeptune City, Ultradimension:**

Renna and Gil were walking through the city streets. Renna pointed to a restaurant that caught her eye. "Ah, that place looks nice. Let's go there."

"A little restaurant near the outskirts of the city. Good choice."

"Thanks. I really hope that their food tastes nice."

"It should. I don't think that it'd be up and running if the food wasn't good."

"True, true."

Renna and Gil had entered the outskirts of Planeptune city. It was still lively, as was the entire city. People passed by, completing their daily duties. The siblings walked over to the restaurant and took their seats at a small table with two chairs and an umbrella to cover it. Renna sat with her arms on the table, leaning on it, while Gil sat back in his seat, arms crossed.

Gil looked to the restaurant employees, hoping that someone would notice them. Renna was observing the passerby's with a smile on her face. Some people stared at her because of her peculiar hair, but mostly due to her staring at them first. She would offer them quick, energetic waves when their eyes met, and most people returned the gesture.

Gil seemed to catch the attention of a waitress. She made her way to them, slinking her way between tables and people. Renna and Gil were at a table furthest away from the restaurant, but even then it wasn't that far out. The waitress greeted them. "Good mornin', you two, I'll be your waitress for today."

"Hello."

"Hiya!"

She gave the both of them a small smile and offered them a menu each. "I'll be back in a bit, just signal to me if you two're ready, kay?"

"Thanks."

"We will!"

The waitress walked off in a similar fashion to how she made her way there. She was clearly a practiced waitress. Gil observed her before looking back to the table. "Seems friendly enough."

"The people here all seem to be friendly, Gil. Some people even waved back at me when I waved at them."

Gil leaned back on his chair while looking up at the umbrella. "I guess it really has improved."

"Looks like it."

"So, what do you want?"

Renna opened the menu and started looking through it. "Hmmm… I don't know where to start…"

"Start with the recommended."

"That would be… the Planeptune Pudding. Seems like it's supposedly the national food or something."

"That's odd."

"Eh, I get it. Sweet things for a sweet nation."

"Sure."

"So you're having that, too?"

"Yes."

"Coolio. Wanna order now, or…?"

"We don't have to rush."

"Thanks. Just look out around us, Gil. Isn't this place nice?"

Gil turned his head around, examining the surrounding infrastructure. Everything was clean, and the people, as Renna had said, seemed decent. Nothing like back then, in the cities at least. "Yeah, it is."

* * *

**Lastation, Hyperdimension:**

Neptune and Noire had arrived at the Lastation Basilicom, on the balcony leading into Noire's office. "Why's this so big, anyway?", asked Neptune.

"Because I want it to be."

"No secret doors or anything in these bookshelves o'er 'ere?"

"No, not at all."

"Hmmm…"

"Let's go find our sisters."

They walked along the Basilicom halls, heading towards Uni's room. Noire guided the both of them. They reached Uni's door and Noire knocked at it. There was no reply. "Uni, are you in there?" Still no response. "Well, I'm coming in…" Noire opened the door slowly and peeked inside. Nobody was in the room, and the bed looked made.

"Maybe they're already up or something?", suggested Neptune.

"That's highly likely. Maybe we should go see the guest rooms, just in case."

The two of them journeyed through the halls again. Neptune noted the silence, besides the clicking of shoes. "It's so quiet here… is it always…?"

"Yes. It's always this quiet." They kept walking. The pair reached the door leading into the guest rooms. This time, both Neptune and Noire knocked.

"Uni…?"

"Nep Jr.? Oh Nep Jr.?"

Nothing. The two peeked inside after slightly opening the door. Both younger sisters were present inside. They were situated on separate beds and were both fast asleep.

"I can't believe it… Uni usually wakes up when I do… But she's still asleep?"

"Must've had a late night gaming or tinkering or whatever. Maybe even some shipping stuff, if you're picking up what I'm fumbling down."

"Could you not place such weird imagery in my head? I'd rather not think about… that."

"Sure. Let's wake them up. We should sneak in like a pair of ninjas!"

"You have the mentality of a ten year old…"

The pair snuck inside the room. Noire was walking normally, but Neptune had her arms up, ready to pounce on her prey. They each arrived at their respective sisters and acted at the same time. Neptune pulled gently at Nepgears cheeks while Noire softly nudged Uni. The both of them awoke with a startle.

"Noire?!"

"Neptune?"

"You know it's already past eight o' clock, Uni?"

"Sup, Nep Jr.!"

The younger sisters were surprised by how late it was.

"How late did you two stay up?", asked Noire.

Uni sat up on her bed, letting the blanket slide off of herself. "I-It was after twelve. I don't know the actual time…"

"What'd you guys get up to?", asked Neptune.

"We played games and we tinkered a bit. We also trained earlier in the day.", answered Nepgear.

"Yeah. Sis, I need to show you something later… i-if that's alright?", asked Uni.

"Y-Yeah, what is it?"

"It has to do with… combat! I'll show you later."

"Improvements?"

"I hope… I think so…"

"That's good news."

Neptune looked at the Lastation sisters with her arms crossed. "What a lovely pair of sisters."

Noire looked back at her quickly. "Shut up, Neptune. You two, get ready. We're going out in a bit. We'll tell you the details when you're done."

"Okay.", answered Nepgear.

"Yes, sis.", spoke Uni.

Noire and Neptune left the room. They waited outside the door for a few minutes while the younger sisters got changed and cleaned up.

"So… where are we going?", asked Uni.

Neptune rested her hands behind her head. "We're taking a gander at the Ultradimension. Gonna see if we can get Plutie to come with us to a food place."

Both Uni and Nepgear shuddered slightly at the mention of Plutia.

"She's getting better, alright?", insisted Neptune.

"Still, sis… Please can we not anger her in any way…"

Neptune put her hands to her hips. "As if little ol' me would do anything like that… isn't that right, Noirey?"

Noire rolled her eyes. "Yeah, the thought never crossed my mind…"

"Seeeee! She's warming up to me!"

"Can we just go already?", asked Noire. Everyone complied, and the four Goddesses walked to Noire's office balcony. They all transformed and started flying towards Virtua Forest.

* * *

**Planeptune, Ultradimension:**

Neptune, Noire, Nepgear and Uni all arrived at the Planeptune Basilicom. They all took the elevator up and were at Plutia's quarters in a minute or so. Neptune decided to knock on the door. "Yoohoo, anyone in there? Do you have time to learn about our lord and savior Neptune?"

Plutia was the one to open the door. She had a smile on her face and her usual slightly droopy expression. "Hello, Neppy… Hello everyone. It's so good to see you all again."

The four CPU's entered the quarters, and they all went to the couches. Neptune sat next to Plutia, Nepgear sat next to Uni, and Noire sat by herself, opposite to Neptune and Plutia.

"So what's up, Plutie? Anything going on in that head o' yours?"

"Yeah, Neppy… many things."

"Like what?"

Plutia looked up, her eyebrows upturned. "Well… you see… You know Renna and Gil?" Everyone perked up at the mention of their names.

"Yeah? What about 'em?", asked Neptune.

"They… They kinda escaped…"

"What?!", exclaimed Noire.

Uni jumped up from the couch and went to Plutia's room. She came back shortly afterwards. "It's true… How could that happen?"

"W-Well… They weren't bound down or anything, really.", answered Nepgear.

"What?!", shouted Uni. She turned to Plutia. "Why would you do that, Plutia?!"

"Aaaaah!", exclaimed Plutia, in a drawn out shout. "I wanted to be friends with them…"

"But that's just naïve! Do you really think that they'd just up and comply with you?!" Uni was angry and her voice was raised, but she wasn't shouting.

"I knew that this would happen. I told you, Neptune." Noire had on a serious expression while looking at Neptune.

"Yeah, I guess you kinda did…."

"Does everyone know about this or is it just us?", questioned Nepgear. She was talking to Plutia in a calm tone of voice.

"Vert and Blanc from your dimension know. They came over to play some games with me. It was so nice."

"Anything else?", asked Noire.

"Ummmm…" Plutia raised a finger to her cheek. "Vert said that she'd investigate Gil's blood."

Nepgear looked at Plutia with a worried expression. "What?! There was blood involved?!"

"It wasn't anything bad, Neppy Jr.. Gil cut his hand with a knife so that Renna could transform."

"So it really is his blood then, huh?", asked Uni, to nobody in particular.

"How'd it go down, Plutie-wootie?"

Plutia explained the entire ordeal to them. She left no important details out.

"So they both wanted to be friends with you…", mumbled Noire.

"Hah! I told ya so!", said Neptune.

"Whatever."

Nepgear noticed that the atmosphere, besides Neptune's jokes, was not as happy as before. "Sis? How about you tell Plutia about the other reason we're here for?"

"Ooooh, good idea, Nep Jr.! Hey, Pluto, how's about you take a meander with us, get a bite to eat or something?"

"Huh?"

"Well I had a little lightbulb in my head, and it made me think that it'd be nice to get out with you. It looks like that's even more necessary now."

"I… I'd love to, Neppy. Thank you."

"Sweet! Know any places? Where do you wanna go?"

"I want to get away from the city. A place near the edge would be nice. I know just the place! It has pudding…"

"That's all I needed to hear! Let's-a go!"

The quintuple CPU's then left the Basilicom, after informing Histoire. They went down the elevator, and transformed upon exiting the main doors. They flew towards the outskirts of the city. Just then, Iris Heart received a call from her Histoire. "Oh, what's this? A call from Histy?" She answered. "Hello, Histy?"

"Hello Plutia, I have something to ask of you."

"But we've just left the Basilicom. You would be so naughty as to not tell me to my face?"

"…There is a group of dogoos approaching the city. It appears to be near the restaurant you five wanted to go to, so I thought that you all would deal with it. It's a nice opportunity to show the civilians that you actually do care."

"What's that, Histy? They should already know that."

"You hardly work, Plutia."

"Hmhmhm. Fine, we'll do it. Always good to exercise a bit, relieve some stress." Iris Heart had a wide smile on. The four other CPUs looked at her with slightly worried expressions.

"Wait, Plutia. They appear to be semi-high level monsters. Don't be too-"

"Then it's even better, Histy. Resistance is always fun during playtime."

"…Maybe try to not scare the people."

"No promises~. Goodbye, Histy."

"Goodbye."

Iris Heart cut the call, keeping her smile.

Purple Heart spoke to her. "Plutia? What was that about?"

"It appears that we have other business to attend to. There are some monsters near the place we're going, so Histy sent us to crush them."

"C-Crush…", muttered Uni.

"She certainly has a way with words…", added Nepgear.

"And what type of monsters are they?", asked Black Heart.

"They're just dogoos. Supposedly, they're high level, but… I'm sure none of you mind."

"Then we have work to do. We should hurry, then.", finished Purple Heart.

The five CPUs then increased their speed, flying quickly towards the edge of the city. Towards a particular restaurant near a forest's edge.

* * *

**Planeptune Outskirts, Ultradimension:**

Renna was looking around the surrounding area. She darted her head in many different directions. "Ummm… is it that person at the table over there?"

"No."

"Okay, uhhh… the waitresses?"

"No."

"The lights on the road?"

"You're getting colder."

"Oh, come on! Is it the cars? The buildings? The sign of the restaurant! It has to be that."

"None of those are right."

"Well what is it then?"

"Look up at the umbrella."

Renna lifted her head, looking up. She saw that the umbrella was purple, but that wasn't what she was looking for. "I don't see it…"

"Look at the struts holding the fabric up."

Renna spotted them. They were light blue. "Ahh, dammit. You got me again. You're so good at this game, Gil."

"If you say so." They had played a game of "I Spy" and they'd been through five rounds so far. "Do you want to have a try now?"

"Nah, we can sit and chat some more. Maybe we could order, in a bit."

Gil looked for their waitress. He lifted his hand to her and she spotted it. She nodded at him and was going to fetch something inside before returning to them. "She's on her way."

"Thanks. Wanna do some guild stuff later?"

"We can. We're not short on credits, but there's no harm in doing some quests."

"Yeah, we can find more places when doing them. We'll explore some more, way more."

"Sure."

There was a sudden commotion, and many people started getting up from their seats. Civilians started walking faster, heading towards the inner city. There were those that stayed behind, but there was definitely much less people than before.

"What's going on?", asked Gil.

"I don't know. Maybe there's some sort of danger?"

They both stood up, and Renna quickly moved inside. She came into contact with their waitress. "Hey, what's going on? Is there a problem?" Gil was slightly behind Renna.

The waitress looked at the two with slight surprise. "Didn't you guys see the news? There's a group of monsters heading this way. People have started to evacuate the area. I think that you two should head on home, at least for now."

Gil didn't know how to respond, so Renna took the lead. "No, we're fine! We'll stay here."

"Are you sure? We can accommodate you inside the shop until the monsters clear out."

"We'll be fine. Thanks, though."

Renna and Gil turned around and started running outside the shop. The waitress called out to them. "Wait, you two! Where are you going?"

"We're going to the monsters. We're going to clean them up!"

"But-"

"We'll be fine! Wait…" Renna ran back to the waitress. "How about you guys prepare us two puddings in the meantime? We'll be back afterwards, so please have them ready for us. Thanks!" Renna ran off again, reaching Gil. They both ran close together as they left the building.

The waitress was left speechless. "But the Goddeses should be here soon…"

* * *

**Minutes before:**

"That's the place there.", said Iris Heart.

The four CPUs landed a few buildings away from the restaurant. There was a road leading towards it, with many buildings on the sides. They had landed three buildings away.

"I'm getting' myself some of that sweeeeeet pudding!", said Neptune.

"Meeeee tooooo!", added Plutia.

"Of course you two are…", muttered Noire.

Uni and Nepgear were standing slightly to the right of the other three and closer to the buildings than them. Nepgear and Uni were looking at the restaurant.

"It looks like a nice place. Where do you want to sit, Uni?"

"Hmm… I wouldn't mind sitting inside, but I'm not sure… about…" Uni was looking at a particular table. Since the group had gotten closer, they had a clearer image of the people. Sitting at an outside table were the two escapees, Renna and Gil. Uni grabbed Nepgear's hand, ran to Noire and grabbed her hand and then dragged the both of them out of sight, behind a building, ushering Neptune and Plutia to follow.

"U-Uni, what's this about?", asked Noire.

"Look!" She poked her head out from behind the building, and the other four did the same. She pointed towards Renna and Gil's table. When the other four spotted them, they let out gasps of surprise.

"What are they doing there of all places?!", spoke Noire.

"Maybe their tummies are just a bit empty or… something?", said Neptune.

"They don't look like they're doing anything baaaaad… maybe they are just out eating.", suggested Plutia.

"We should get a closer look.", spoke Nepgear.

The five Goddesses returned behind the building and quickly transformed. They flew upwards and landed on the building opposite the restaurant and then all transformed back. The edge of the building had elevated railing, providing them with cover to duck behind. They all peeked over, with their hands folding over the edge. If anyone were to see them, they would either look like a group of stalkers or a group of delinquents.

"Let's watch them for a few minutes… before we do anything.", spoke Plutia.

"Just don't get any weird ideas, 'kay Plutie?"

"I'm not THAT weird, Neppy."

They observed for a few minutes. The two didn't do anything strange. They sat and spoke to each other. They shifted in their seats sometimes, and looked around occasionally. They spoke to a waitress, spoke to each other, laughed with each other. They looked like a normal pair of people.

"I guess they really are just… spending their time casually…", said Uni.

Noire was about to stand up. Neptune noticed this and put a hand on her shoulder. "Noire, what're you doing?"

"We need to confront them again. Letting them go will not do. We can't just leave them, even if they aren't doing anything bad right now."

"I know, but can't we let them have this moment?"

"And risk them quickly escaping again?"

"You two… stop fighting…", spoke Plutia. It wasn't threatening, but Noire and Neptune shifted their attention to Plutia anyway. "We're also here to stop some dogoos. They should arrive any minute now…" As Plutia finished, most people started leaving the surrounding area. A notification had been sent out which warned them of an approaching dogoo pack. It also said that the CPUs would take care of it, so the people still wanted to watch. As such, they were only a few buildings away and safely out of reach, but close enough to witness the battle. "But… Just a bit longer…"

They continued to watch the two. They seemed confused at what was happening around them and both got up. They ran inside the restaurant, and shortly afterwards they were both outside.

* * *

**Present time:**

Renna and Gil ran to the center of the road, stopped, and faced towards the forest. They both stood with their arms at their sides and their legs slightly apart.

"Maybe we should get closer.", suggested Uni.

Nepgear pointed to her left. "We can… jump down into the other alleyway closest to them."

The buildings weren't incredibly high, so they didn't have to transform to get back down. The five CPUs watched the pair from the slightly darkened alleyway.

"I wonder what they are?", asked Renna.

"Hopefully something new."

"I want that too. I'm hoping that they're some sort of… flying monsters!"

"I'd like that as well."

The forest wasn't that far away from the restaurant, seeing as it was positioned near the outskirts. This allowed them a clear view of the monsters when they would show themselves.

"Any day now would be nice…", said Renna.

"I'm sure they're almost here."

The five CPUs were still watching. "Wait, so we're just going let them do the fighting for us?", asked Noire.

"Ummm… Yeah!", answered Neptune.

"Even now, you're such a slacker…"

"I agree with Neppy… we can let them do it, and then we speak to them afterwards…", said Plutia.

"I don't know if that's entirely possible, Plutia…", said Nepgear.

"The monsters are about to appear, everyone.", said Uni.

The leaves were rustling. "Look, Renna. They're here now."

"Oh, cool. They don't seem to be that big."

"We'll see when they appear."

From the forest emerged a group of blue. The monsters all had round, gelatinous bodies. They each had two small, black dots for eyes, and little patches of tan skin with a small round mouth on it. They all had brown, perked up ears. All of their bodies were light blue, and they seemed to always bounce on the spot. They were dogoos. They were…

"…disgusting."

"Oh, great. Dogoos.", spoke Renna sarcastically. Dogoos weren't much of a challenge, but there was another reason why Renna spoke like that. "Soooo… what do you wanna do?"

"I'll go ahead. You stay here and watch. Make sure nobody gets too close."

"Okay…" Renna looked down at Gil's hands. They were both in fists, and she could tell that he was squeezing really, REALLY hard. The rest of his body experienced no change. "Try not to be… too rough, alright?"

"…Sure."

"They're supposedly harder than usual, so be careful, okay?"

"…Okay."

"Please just… don't take it too far. Please, Gil?"

"…I won't. Just stand guard, please."

"Alright."

The five CPUs were a bit surprised that Gil was walking ahead by himself. "What are they doing?", asked Uni.

"Maybe… the dogoos are too weak for them, so it limits them to a one member party only?", suggested Neptune.

Noire looked at Neptune with half-lidded eyes. "This isn't a video game, Neptune."

"Weeeee should get closeeeeeer…", said Plutia.

The five of them worked their way into the open. They quickly ran across the street towards the restaurant, with Renna and Gil facing away from them. They took their positions on the side of the restaurant that had an ideal view of what was about to unfold.

Gil kept walking forward at a steady, slow pace. Gil was not a person who hated things because they existed. He tended to not mind most things, and enjoyed a few of them. It was usually places that he and his sister explored, since they really didn't have time for hobbies. He did dislike a lot of things. They were all for proper, justifiable reasons.

Then there were things that he genuinely despised. He wouldn't break out into a rage or go on some sort of rampage, but he still hated them. Dogoos were on the list of "Genuinely Despised". It wasn't like he actively chased them or fought with them every time they encountered the creatures, but when they did fight dogoos, Gil was disgusted by them.

"Absolutely disgusting."

Long ago, he had heard tales of the monsters. He had heard that dogoos were generally weak creatures, although the higher level ones provided somewhat of a challenge. He hated them nonetheless. He had heard tales of what they would do to people, and had a bad impression ever since he was young. They generally targeted females first. They wouldn't do anything… drastic or traumatizing to the poor girls, but they still… touched them.

He hated to think about this. They were not held in high regard by any adventurer, and practically everyone was aware of their actions. The affected girls would simply go on with their lives due to the dogoos not performing anything too bad to them. That was always the case with dogoos. They were always seen to be a joke. Nobody ever took them seriously.

Gil understood that they were very weak and that it was the major reason why anyone would simply not see them as a big threat. But he could not handle the revolting thoughts. What if they touched more people? Their sickening, foul, slimy texture. What if they touched Renna?

He could not handle that thought.

His neck tensed up, flexing the muscles along it. His eyes were wide open, focused solely on the group of creatures. His mouth was closed, but his teeth were tightly clenched. His hands were still in fists, squeezed in balls. His eyebrows were furrowed, giving him a furious expression. He continued to approach the dogoos. He was very close.

He didn't bother counting how many of them there were. He would take them all out. If it was up to him, he would kill every single dogoo that lived. If it was up to him, he would have strike teams sent out to exterminate them quickly and efficiently. He'd have it that they never existed to begin with.

Neptune, Noire, Nepgear, Uni and Plutia all had front row seats. They couldn't see the intensity of Gil's expression at that moment. It then started. The dogoo closest to Gil jumped at him with average speed, as is expected of a dogoo.

"Stupid creatures."

He grabbed it midair, and with great speed, thrust it towards the ground. He planted it onto the floor, got onto one knee and put more effort into his right hand. He sent his fist straight through the slime, hitting the ground beneath it and slightly cracking the road. He returned to his feet, the dogoo disposed of. It had a fist sized hole in it.

The second one lunged at him while staying on the ground. Gil reached down and threw it slightly above him. When it dropped back down to him, he pierced the monster with the fingers of his left hand. He ignited the tips, making a flame inside the dogoo. It wasn't enough to make it explode. Rather, it was boiled from the inside. Then he threw it towards the forest, where it combusted.

The third one didn't put up much of a fight. It also jumped at him. Dogoos couldn't do much. It was usually either jump or lunge. Regardless, he had caught it with his left hand and held it. With his right hand, he grabbed at its left eye. He ripped it off, and repeated the process with the other eye. He dropped it and kicked it in midair, causing a splash of goo. Gil looked down at his long pants and wore a disgusted face.

"Disgusting..." While he was distracted, two more made their way to him. One of them jumped onto his chest, while the other was still in midair. With great speed, he took a hold of the one attached to him. Effortlessly, he ripped it apart. He jumped into the air to meet the other monster and grabbed its face with his right hand. He landed on the ground and smashed it into the concrete. He then smashed it four more times until it shattered from the force.

He rubbed off some goo that was on his shirt. His teeth were slightly showing. Another one lunged at him. Gil shot a beam of light through its lower section. He then repeated the process, aiming for its eyes and then the middle section.

Another one. He grabbed its ears, ripping one off. He repeatedly smacked it against the road with both of his hands, eventually causing a part of the thing to fly off. He roundhouse kicked the next one, popping its body with the back of his right foot. He intercepted the next one midair, again. It was under his foot, and he squished it against the floor as he landed. He aimed for the side of its body, so it was still gripping to life. He lifted his foot, positioned it in the center of the creature, and slowly crushed it.

He threw fire at one, causing it to melt away. He blinded one and thrust his hand inside it. Many small beams of light shot out of it, projecting up into the sky and near the buildings. All the while, his expression was one filled with complete disgust. A few drops of slime were visible, so he wiped them off, cleaning his face.

He grabbed one and threw it against a building so hard that it exploded on contact. He took a hold of one with both hands, burnt it with his right hand and shot light into it with his left. He impaled one with his right hand like a spear and slid it off. He took hold of a fleeing dogoo and put his hand into it. He closed his hands inside of it and threw it at the rest of the retreating creatures. It exploded in the center of the group, killing most of them instantly.

He threw a pillar of fire across the ground, burning two dogoos in its path. He rushed towards one and kicked it. It flew into the air and then came crashing down. Gil helped it on its way, pushing it down as it was falling. There was one left. It was almost in the forest. Gil rushed at it. He threw fire in front of it, blocking its path. He picked it up and threw it behind him, towards where the battle first started. He followed it, stomping it into the ground for a total of seven times.

He was finished. He stood where the ordeal had begun, right in front of the Goddesses. They were all exposed to this phenomenon in front of them. He then looked up, his body slightly relaxing. He had on a satisfied look. "Ugh… stupid things."

Renna rushed towards him and looked him up and down. "You… You okay, Gil?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'll need you to clean me later."

"Sure."

"Was there anyone who approached us?"

"Ummm… maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Maybe I missed someone."

"I hope not."

The five CPUs were still hiding, but also still watching. It was quite the show. Nepgear had on a nervous expression and was clearly worried about what just happened. Uni was similar, but didn't show it as much as Nepgear. Noire was staring at Renna and Gil with furrowed brows. It wasn't because she was angry, but because the experience was a bit off putting. Neptune was slightly dumbstruck. Her mouth was slightly open, and showed an expression that said "I don't get why that just happened."

Plutia, on the other hand, was actually… smiling. The other four stared at her, taking in her satisfied expression. It was almost gleeful. She noticed them and responded to their stares. "S-Sorry… just… got a little excited by the show…. Sooooryyyy."

Renna and Gil suddenly froze up. They looked at where they had heard a voice. They eventually spotted the Goddesses and were both staring at the group of them.

Gil glared at the Goddesses. "Renna, we're leaving."

Renna placed a hand on Gil's shoulder. "Wait, wait, Gil!"

"What do you mean, wait?"

"I mean wait! Just wait! I want to talk."

"Renna…"

"It'll be fine, I'll make sure of that. Just stand a bit back. Try clean a bit of the goo off of yourself."

"…Okay."

Gil walked off, stopping a small distance away from Renna. He was facing towards her, his eyes constantly on the Goddesses. Renna had her usual expression on. She was smiling and showed no worry on her face. With a motion of her left hand, she ushered the five CPUs to her. They all reluctantly complied, and they were all nervous.

"That's close enough.", said Gil.

"It's fine, Gil." Renna was standing with her arms behind her back, clasped together. She was rocking on her feet. The five Goddesses were standing in the open, feeling out of place. What would they say?

Plutia was looking at Gil. Renna waved a hand in the way. "Hey, over here, Plutia! I'm over here."

Plutia looked towards Renna. She was about to rush at her. "Easy there, Plutia.", spoke Renna.

"But I want to hug you!"

"Oh… Umm… well, not now? I guess?"

The four other CPUs were staring at Plutia with an awestruck expression. They knew what Plutia had done on the night of the escape, but to see it happen was something else. Noire spoke first. "So what is it that you want to talk about?"

"Ahhh, Raven. I mean, Noire… It's good to see you again."

Noire didn't have a proper reply. "Y-Yeah… I mean, no… I mean…"

"And so goes the normal procedure…", spoke Neptune.

Renna looked at Neptune. "Are you the leader in this group, Neptune?"

Neptune took a stance, bringing her right hand to her chest. "You bet I am! I'm the super charismatic, irresistibly gorgeous… Neptune!" Renna was amused by this.

"Get over yourself…", said Noire.

"So, Neptune. What were you all planning on doing here? Did you come after us?"

Neptune, suddenly thrust into an actual important position, was caught off guard. "N-No… We came here for two reasons." Neptune lifted her left hand, holding a peace sign out. "One, we came here to clear up some invading dogoos. But that's already been taken care of. Thanks for doing our job for us, Gil!" He didn't respond. "Two, we came here for the food. We visited Plutia and we saw how down she was, so we invited her to come with us."

"She was feeling down? Was it because…"

"Of you guys? Yeah. She's not, you know, depressed or anything. But it's got her down in the dumps, ya know?"

"Oh…"

"Yeah. And that's it. We spotted you two here, and… here we are, I guess!"

Renna looked to the rest of the CPUs. Her eyebrows were a bit upturned. Gil walked next to her. He put a hand on her shoulder. Renna nodded at him. "…Okay. So I'm guessing you all figured this out, but… we're leaving now." The four other CPUs rushed to Neptune's side. They were ready for a fight if it came down to it.

"But before that… You all should know something…" They were all listening intently. Renna stopped smiling, but her eyes were still upturned. She looked at each of them individually and spoke. "Next time we meet, if you decide to fight us, won't be pretty. So please… don't follow us. It's not worth it." She threw her hand into the air.

"Wait, Renna!"

"Bye, Neptune." She quickly enveloped herself and Gil in darkness, and eventually they were invisible. The five of them had already started running towards the two, but they made no contact with them. They were gone.

Noire stomped her one foot. "Dammit, not again! Why does this keep happening?!"

"Please calm down, sis…"

"It's just all so… so annoying!"

"Probably just the writer being lazy or somethin', I don't know. It'll change in a bit, I hope.", suggested Neptune.

"P-Please, sis, try to be a little serious at a point like this…"

"That's not in my nature. Gotta stay positive and all that!"

Noire turned towards Neptune with a frustrated face. "Neptune. We lost them. Again. What is there to be positive about?"

Plutia answered for her. "We got to see them again… you see, I told you they were friendly."

"I wouldn't exactly call that whole… battle "friendly"…", muttered Uni.

"Besides thaaaaaat!"

"I think we should go back to the Basilicom… we should tell both Histoires of what happened here.", said Nepgear.

"And we should ask Vert about what she was "investigating", or whatever.", added Neptune.

Noire considered this. "That's not… a bad idea."

"Are you guys going to go back home now?", asked Plutia.

"Yeah… after we tell your Histoire about this whole shebacle. We'll get some food another time, alright Plutie?"

"Alright… Thank you for coming, anyway…"

"Hey, we're not gone yet! The chapters almost done, but we still do stuff in between the time not written down, ya know?"

"You're funny, Neppy."

"Thanks."

"You two done?", asked Noire. She had her arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. "I'd like to get going."

"Yes, your majesty."

The five CPUs transformed and flew off towards Planeptower. They would explain everything to both dimensions. Plutia would inform the CPUs of Ultradimension while Neptune and Noire would deal with the Hyperdimension. And they would all mull over what Renna said… About next time. They would fight again, that was almost an inevitability. But just how different would it be? How much had the two of them not shown yet?

And would they be prepared for it?

* * *

**That's that. I don't think that dogoo part counts as gore, so it should be fine, right? Right? It's just slime…**

**So yes, they have more to show off and stuff. As expected, but yeah.**

**I know where I want this story to go, I just need to make a clear path as to how to get there. I don't want to rush it, but I don't want it to be boring or dragged out, either.**

**I can tell you that some pretty cool things will happen in the future. Can't tell you exactly when, but you can expect it!**

**I'll try to get the next one out sooner than this one. But right now, I need to sleep…**

**Reviews and opinions are welcomed all the time, and I might even reply to you if you give any advice or whatever, on any of the chapters! Actually, I most definitely will, unless I'm sleeping, away, or if it's been too long.**

**Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! Please continue on this journey with me! As I've said, some cool things lie ahead.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	12. A Change of Plans

**Hello again everyone! This chapter was very fun to write, I have to say. Not because the other chapters aren't fun to write, but because of who appears… ****I won't say anything else about it! **

**I feel like this chapter is slower in its pacing, so please read it as such. I recommend this, to fully enjoy it. Obviously not forcing you, but still…**

**More stuff I say is at the end, like usual.**

**But yeah, please enjoy the read! I hope you have as much fun as I did!**

* * *

**Chapter 11:**

"Renna."

"Yeah, Gil?"

"We can't keep running away. We have to make some sort of impact sooner or later."

"I… I know. I do, but how are we going to do that? We can't just barge into wherever Rei is and expect no resistance."

"We could go during the night."

"But they'll have guards patrolling, probably. I don't think they'd leave a CPU unguarded."

"They left us unguarded."

"Yeah, but Plutia already said why. They have an actual reason to do so for Rei."

"The guards will be normal people. We can deal with them."

"We don't have to kill them, Gil."

"If they get in the way too much, we might just have to."

"I'd rather not."

"I know."

The two were hiding out in a mountain range. They knew that the CPUs could find them. They had an educated guess that it was because of that fairy. Why the CPUs hadn't come for them yet, they didn't know. The mountain range was situated between Planeptune and Lastation, Ultradimension. It was fairly bland and only a few patches of green decorated the edges of the cliffs.

But these two had found a particularly nice place. On the path just over a bridge, a waterfall fell on the left side. The right side continued onto a small hill and another path. These two had decided to stay by the waterfall, although they were fairly exposed. They hoped that people would think they were normal adventurers.

"Renna."

"Yeah?"

"People may start recognizing us. There were people watching us during the fight, right?"

"Yeah… I'm guessing that they were expecting the Goddesses to fight them. I don't think anyone else was too close, so we should be safe."

"For now."

A rainbow could be seen next to the waterfall. The rushing water was a constant sound. They'd already taken care of the surrounding monsters, and they would do so again if they reappeared. "You were kinda brutal back there, Gil."

"It wasn't too bad, was it?"

"Maybe, since it was against dogoos. Just don't go off doing that to people, alright?"

"I have no reason to. I'm not a monster."

"Yeah…" This brought up a thought for the both of them. What were they? They were half-CPUs. They were neither human nor full CPU. What did that classify as? They'd heard of CPU Candidates before, so did they fall under that category? They should. They should inherit the title of being Tari's CPU after they dealt with Rei. That's what they hoped, at least.

"We've been lax lately, Renna."

"Really? It's only been a few days…"

"And we haven't made major headway. As I said before, we need to make an impact."

"Can we… think about it overnight? We can continue tomorrow with a proper plan in mind, maybe?"

"Yes. We can do that."

"Cool." They didn't speak for a few moments. They listened to the flowing water. There wasn't much else to listen too. Not many birds flew overhead and there were no nearby monsters.

There was a sudden, unexpected sound. It sounded like a ripping in space, as if reality was being pulled apart to accommodate for something new and otherworldly. A small, blue sphere appeared not far away from Renna and Gil. They stood up, alerted by the sudden change. Gil stood partially in front of Renna. The sphere enlarged and formed a swirling mass of blue energy.

"What…"

"It's like back then, Gil! It's that portal, like before!"

"But, how? It has to be that fairy from before…"

"The one that was with Rei?"

"Yes."

"Great."

"Something's appearing, Renna. Be on guard."

When the portal was large enough to allow a person to walk through, it stabilized. Out from the portal emerged two people.

The first one was slightly taller than Renna, so much so that it was hardly noticeable. She had vibrant red hair that was formed into two tails braided near the top. She wore a white shirt that appeared to be buttoned at the top, and it exposed her lower midriff. She had black suspenders reaching down from under her shirt which held up a short grey skirt. She had an orange tie that almost extended past her skirt. She had black shoes that sported large, baggy sections that extended up her leg. Her left leg had a short orange and black sock. The baggy parts of the shoes had some… buttons pinned against them. She had two black triangle accessories in her hair, holding a section of it in place.

The second girl was also around the same height as Renna. Whether she was taller or shorter, they couldn't tell. She had a black hoodie that had purple lines at the bottom, near her legs and at the ends by her hands. The hood part was purple, and she had light blue lines going down the sides of her arms and in the center of the hood. Her zipper had a big purple "N" on it and she had two pockets for her hands, decorated with a light blue circle and purple tops each. She had black and purple shoes that extended upwards and reached out to the sides. She had a black choker around her neck with a light blue light on it. On her left thigh she had two black straps, the top one with a black D-Pad with a light blue line in it. The straps held onto some sort of case. Her head had two strangely similar accessories. They were black D-Pads and were similar to the one on her leg.

In fact, they were almost identical to Neptune's… This girl, in her entirety, looked like Neptune plus a few years. She had the same colour hair, eyes, and their fashion sense was similar. This girl's hair was longer, though. Renna and Gil silently observed the two, on guard. They didn't know what to expect. But it seemed that the two newcomers hadn't even noticed them yet despite facing them.

"Man, this place is so different to back home, Nepsy."

"I know, right! Although, this place kinda IS my home, so…"

"Oh, yeah. I've just never seen you consider this home or anything."

"It's all good in my hood! I'm not sure how to feel, actually. I was more like a dimension hopping nomad."

"Well I'm glad that you've decided to stay with us. And for coming with me on this journey, like the last one, ya know?"

"Why wouldn't I? It's good for both of us. I get to explore my dimension, and you get to explore in general. There's no downside."

"Yeah, but I can still thank you." They stretched their arms and legs. "So where to next?"

"I'm favouring Lastation. Wanna see what it's like. It should be just past behind us."

"Wait, Nepsy… there are other people here." The two looked at Renna and Gil.

"Oh… woops." The Neptune lookalike rubbed the back of her head, offering the two an awkward smile. "So you two saw what just happened, right? Must be weird for us to show up out of nowhere, I'm guessing?" They didn't reply. "Oooh… I didn't do anything bad, did I?"

"They must just be nervous, Nepsy." The red head walked forward a bit. "My name's Uzume. I'm sorry about my partner here, she's a bit ditzy."

"Hey, that's mean!"

The redhead waved her hand at "Nepsy". "Yeah, yeah. Trust me, there's a good reason for this." She thrust her right hand out with an open palm. "Let's shake and start over, hey?"

Renna and Gil whispered to each other. "We need to find out about how they got here. We need to find out about these two. They could be important.", aid Gil.

"Yeah. They seem friendly enough. How about you go shake her hand?"

"Why me?"

"I'm the one always talking to people. Didn't you say that you wanted to get used to talking with people normally?"

"…Uhh, fine."

The two of them stood up straight, releasing their guarded position. Gil walked forward and took the girl's hand. "Hello, Uzume. It's nice to meet you. My name is Gil. My companion's name is Renna." They both shook.

"Gil… cool. Just so you know, there's no need to be so stiff or formal with me. It's alright to be you."

They separated hands, and Gil looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "And why would I be?"

"Oh yeah, that's right!", said Uzume. She put a palm to her face and shook her head. "I guess the people over here wouldn't really know about me. I'm a CPU from a different dimension."

Gil's eyes widened in shock. If he had still been holding her hand, his grip may have tightened. Renna was also wary, but she retained most of her composure. Gil took a slow step back. Renna came up behind him and pushed him back forward. He would've bumped into Uzume if he hadn't kept his balance.

"Umm… is everything alright, you two?"

Gil looked to his sister, who nodded vigorously at him. What did she mean? "Just go with it.", whispered Renna.

He would try. "No, it's… nothing. I was just surprised."

Uzume nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. Don't worry about the whole treating me like a Goddess or anything. I prefer casual talk."

"That's… interesting."

"Really?"

"I think so."

"Um, thanks, then. Oh, I haven't introduced my companion! This person here is…"

"…Neptune! My name is Neptune! I'm a traveller, looking for places to see and people to talk to!"

Gil looked towards this other Neptune. "Neptune? That's… interesting."

"And whyyyyy is that so?"

Gil shouldn't have said that. He had to think of what to say on his feet, something he wasn't really used to. "It's… because… I thought it was an interesting name…"

"And what about "Uzume"? Don't ya think that that's an interesting name too?"

"I… guess I do…" This wasn't going that well. He stopped talking. Renna poked him in the back, trying to get him to continue. He looked down, his face still stoic and his eyes slightly drooped.

"Hey, chill out, I'm just teasing you. Relax, alright?"

He looked back up at her. "I'll… keep that in mind."

Neptune raised an eyebrow at him. "You don't talk much, do ya?"

"You could say that."

Uzume clapped her hands together. "How about we all sit down somewhere and talk? I know we just met, but it's fine, right guys?"

Renna was the one to speak now. "I wouldn't mind that at all. How about you, Gil?" She looked at her brother meaningfully.

"I… agree. We can talk."

"Cool. How about over there, overlooking the waterfall?", asked Uzume.

"We were just there, actually.", said Gil.

"So there's no problem, then! Yipee!", finished Neptune.

They went to where Renna and Gil were originally, a few steps away from the now closed portal. It was late afternoon and the sun was low. No city was visible. It was only nature around them.

Once they all sat down, Uzume started. "So what's up with you two? What're you two here for?"

"We're just two adventurers. We want to explore more of this world, as we haven't really been outside of Planeptune.", replied Renna.

"Hmmm, I see. We're about the same. Nepsy over here was born in this dimension, but she never really got around to exploring it. So that's what we're doing."

"Can you tell us more about that? About the dimensions?"

"Sure. But first… Aren't you guys surprised by us? I mean, the dimension part."

"Well… we knew about the incident a while ago. Apparently there was this evil CPU that tried destroying the CPUs across two dimensions or something."

"Yeah, I wasn't really around for that…"

"Why? What happened?"

"Let's just say that I was… out of commission."

"Oh, okay. What about you, Neptune?"

Neptune perked her head up. "Me? I hopped around dimensions with the help of this little bug thing! Well, it's not actually a bug, but still."

"Could I see it?"

"I don't think she's awake right now, so I can't. She's super cranky and stuff."

"Alright…"

"But yeah, back to your question.", said Uzume. "You already know about Neptune here, but I'm not from around these parts. I'm from another dimension called the Hyperdimension."

"Oh, really? What's it like?"

"Oh, man, it's much different. The technology there is leagues ahead of what it's like here. That's not a bad thing, though. I'm used to the retro stuff." The four of them spoke some more, with Renna generally taking the lead for Gil. They spoke about general things, and interesting things. They seemed to get on quite well. Even Gil thought so, a bit.

The sun was setting, and it was almost fully beyond the horizon. "It's getting dark soon…", said Gil.

"Yeah. What're you two gonna do now?", asked Renna.

"I'm not sure. We could just go to a hotel or something…", said Uzume, thinking out loud.

Neptune had an idea. An idea that, in her mind, was genius. "No, Uzume! We can't just leave these two after we've spent so much time leveling their affection points! We should camp out with them."

"Don't you think that that's a little… out of nowhere, Nepsy?"

Renna witnessed the two of them discussing the matter. She looked at Gil, and then at the two. "We don't mind. You two seem like nice people." Gil looked at her with surprise. "What? It'll be fun!" Gil was still wary, but he nodded at her.

"It's decided then! We're staying with you guys for the night! Is that alright, Uzume?", asked Neptune.

"Yeah, it's cool. It'll be fun, I'm sure."

"Alright, alright! Doesn't look like you guys have any equipment, but we do! Just a few sleeping bags and whatnot. The starry sky is our roof!" They all looked up towards the sky. It was as she said. Starry.

"Welp, we should start setting up. Should only take a few minutes.", said Uzume. Neptune and Uzume laid out some sleeping bags. It was lucky that they brought extra ones. Gil had prepared a fire. He used some equipment that Neptune and Uzume provided. He didn't want to show his magic yet. Renna was watching him while sitting down. Her knees were brought up near her face and her arms were wrapped around them.

Gil finished and sat down next to her. He leaned back on his arms, and one of his legs was arched. The other was straight. Neptune and Uzume were a distance away, out of earshot.

Renna and Gil spoke soft enough to not catch their attention. "What's the plan, Renna?"

"Well, for starters, I don't think we'll be starting again tomorrow."

"And why is that?"

"I want to stay with these two for a while."

"W…What? Why?"

"Don't you think that they're alright?"

"Well, yes…"

"And you know that we need to explore this dimension more."

"Yes…"

"So since we share similar objectives, and the company is nice, I thought that we could travel together."

"Isn't that too much to ask?"

"They were the ones who wanted to camp out with us, so I'm sure they'd be happy."

Gil shifted in his position. "Maybe. I'm not sure…"

"Gil. It'll be fine. We'll make sure that it works out, okay?"

"Okay."

"Cool! Let's just try to be friends with them!"

"I wonder if they know the other CPUs…"

"Maybe. We can find out later, I guess."

"And Uzume… She's a CPU. She seems different, though. Did she say what nation she belonged to?"

"Nope, just that she's from the Hyperdimension. Maybe she's in a similar case as us."

"Maybe."

Neptune and Uzume both finished and sat down by the fire as well.

"Everything alright over here?", asked Uzume.

"No problems on this side! How're the sleeping bags?", questioned Renna.

"They're fine and dandy. You'll feel super snuggly tonight.", answered Neptune.

"That's great to hear."

They listened to the crackling of the fire. The rest of the area was quiet. "I'm going to take a walk. I'll make sure no monsters are nearby.", spoke Gil.

Neptune was the first to speak. "Mmkay. Be careful out there, Gilly!" Gil stopped in his tracks. "It's okay for me to call you that, right?"

"S…Sure."

Uzume and Renna spoke next.

"Be safe out there."

"Have fun!"

Gil nodded and turned around. He walked towards where they had fought a few monsters earlier. It wasn't that far away. When he was out of earshot, Neptune leaned in. "Now it's time for some juicy gossip!"

"What're you talking about, Nepsy?"

"It's just us girls now! We can talk about girl stuff and things…"

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

Neptune turned to Renna. "So… Renna… who is that boy?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean who is he? To you?" Neptune wiggled her eyebrows.

"Oh… Oooooooh. No, it's nothing like that. He's kinda my brother."

"O-Oh, well… sorry for asking."

"It's happened before, don't worry."

"Gets a little weird, doesn't it?"

"Definitely."

Uzume leaned forward. "Why is that, though? What makes people ask you those kinda questions?"

Renna placed a finger to her cheek. "I think… it's because we're really close. We haven't really been separated. We've always been together."

"Is that so?"

"Mmmhmm. It's kind of out of nowhere, but… I also come across as really protective, sometimes."

"Huh, I never got that. Weird.", said Neptune.

"I'll take it as a compliment."

"Great! Does that mean he's available?" Renna was surprised and her face showed it, although she knew that Neptune was joking. "Chillax, I'm pulling your leg."

"I know… but it's not the first time somebody's acted like that either."

"Oooooh, watcha mean?" Uzume was also slightly intrigued by this.

"It actually happened the other day. There was this small girl, but I think she was our age. Her name was Plutia."

"Never heard of her.", affirmed Uzume.

"I… I may recognize that name. I don't know where from, though…", said Neptune.

Renna continued. "She was way too touchy feely with him. Due to… circumstances, she was suddenly involved in our lives."

"How so? How "involved"?", asked Neptune.

"That's… a bit complicated. She was kinda obsessed with Gil, in a way. She even went up to him and hugged him outta the blue, among other things, even though we barely knew her."

"Ooooh, this is getting' spicy."

"I-I guess I'm also a bit interested in this stuff, too.", spoke Uzume. Her voice didn't change, but she could feel her cuter side rising up. She controlled herself with great effort.

"She claims that she wants to be our friend, and I sure hope she means that. Not sure how I'd feel about that kind of relationship when it comes to my brother. He doesn't seem like the kinda guy that's too worried about all that stuff right now."

"He might SEEM like it, but how does he ACTUALLY feel? Is he the strong, silent type? Maybe he just doesn't show off those kind of emotions and instead bottles them up inside him? Ah-HA! A male tsundere!"

Uzume snickered. "That'd be… kinda cute." She lowered to a whisper during the final part of her sentence.

"I don't get that impression from him though. It's never been an important part in either of our lives, so we don't have as much experience with that."

Neptune had a surprised face. "Whaaaaaat?! But that's… impossible! You're both pretty good looking, so are you sure nobody's approached either of you before?"

"N-No, I'm certain. We're fairly… inexperienced."

"Woooow… you'd better watch out. One of these days, it's bound to happen."

"Frankly, I hope it doesn't."

"Things are out of your control, Renny. It'll happen by itself."

They could all hear a bit of commotion on the other side of the bridge. They'd be able to see if it wasn't so dark. "So what's for dinner?", asked Renna.

Uzume rubbed her hands together and stood up. "I'm glad you asked! We got some supplies a couple-a days ago, so we're stock full of food!" She summoned some packets of meat into her hands. "Ta-da!"

"Woah! How'd you do that?!"

"Whatcha mean? Anyone can do… wait, dammit, I guess that's not really a big thing here yet."

"What? What isn't a big thing?"

"Back in the Hyperdimension, we have this sort of pocket service that allows you to store items in inter-dimensional space. I don't know all the details, but I know that it's super convenient. I can hook ya up if we ever go there together. Seeing as we're a four person party now."

"I'd… I'd love that."

Uzume unpacked the meat and placed it near the fire for it to cook. "Should take between ten to twenty minutes for it to be done. So we just gotta wait for now."

"That really IS convenient."

All three of them sat close together. Renna was in the middle, Neptune was on her left, and Uzume was on her right. They listened to the fire some more. There was more commotion, and some beams of light coming from the other side. Renna looked over and was about to get up."I should go che-"

"Nah, you stay here, Renna. I'll go check up on everything.", said Neptune.

Renna turned her head, eyeing Neptune. "You sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay…"

"Alley-oop!" Neptune jumped to her feet and skipped to the other side of the fire. She turned around and walked backwards, still moving in the same direction. "See ya in a few!"

"See ya."

"Bye!"

Uzume and Renna were left alone with the fire. "Yeah… she might seem like a klutz, but she's got it all figured out. She may seem lazy, but she's actually organized. Kinda. Mostly."

"Can't really tell a person by their looks, I guess."

"I guess not."

"When'd you two start your little adventure?"

"A few months back. We first started exploring the Hyperdimension, and that took a few weeks. It was so good to see everything."

"I know the feeling."

"It's awesome, right? Neptune decided to visit her home dimension, so she asked me to come with her. And now we're here."

"Any good stories along the way?"

"Oh you bet there are." The two continued speaking, and Uzume shared a few of her experiences with Renna. Meanwhile, Neptune was moving towards where she thought Gil was. She was still skipping, humming all the while. "Hmmhmhmmmm… Hmmhmhmmmm…"

She turned her head to the right, not stopping in her stride. She could still see the fire clearly, as well as Uzume and Renna. It wasn't a far ways away since only a small ravine with a river at the bottom separated them. She faced forward again. The sounds of fighting were getting closer. "Hmhmmhmmm… Hmmhmmhm."

She could hear sounds of pain coming from the different monsters. Her eyes were adapting to the darkness, but she couldn't make out everything clearly. She could also hear the sounds of effort coming from Gil. "Hmhmhmm… Hmhmhmm…" She saw a shape fly past her head. It must've been a monster, but she couldn't tell what it was. She turned on her heels, skipping backwards while briefly facing where the monster was thrown. She saw a group of crystals appear and shatter into nothingness.

"Yup… definitely a monster." She turned back and kept moving. There was a final sound of effort accompanied by a grunt of pain. A great mass of crystals appeared and shattered. The light projected a silhouette of Gil towards her. "Woah."

She quickened her pace and snuck up on Gil and tapped him twice on both shoulders. He quickly spun around, but Neptune spun with him, staying behind his back. He spun back around again and faced Neptune. She was standing with both arms clasped behind her back, and her body slightly leaning to her right. Her legs were crossed over each other, with her right leg in front. She was also smiling. "Hiya, Gil. Just finished?"

Gil breathed a sigh of relief. "Just finished here."

"What was that last thing you defeated? It looked pretty big."

"It was a dragon, I think. Must've been low level."

"Maybe you're just strong?"

"Hm." He stood there, not sure what to say. Neptune didn't change her expression. Both of their eyes were now fully acclimatized to the darkness.

"Hey, Gil…"

"Neptune…"

They had both spoken at the same time.

"You go first.", said Gil.

"No, you go. I insist.", ushered Neptune.

Gil looked at her for a moment. "Okay. I'm not sure how well I'll word this, so bear with me."

"Go right on ahead."

"Alright. I'm fairly certain that both you and Uzume are aware of this by now, but I don't have a lot of experience when it comes to talking to people like this. I've always been besides Renna, and that's that. That also means that I haven't been in a group with others before. As such, I wasn't entirely on board with the idea of staying with you two." Neptune didn't speak, but instead nodded at him. She still had on a happy expression. "I'm… still feeling a bit wary. I do think that you two are good people, but please understand that it will take some time for me to get used to you two. Neither of us have had much luck with people."

"Watcha mean?"

"We've encountered our fair share of bad people. It's hard to trust anyone after that." Neptune stared at him as he looked away. "Sorry."

Neptune nodded repeatedly at him. "Don't worry, I getcha. I'd feel the same way if I were in your position. May I ask what position that is, exactly?"

"Maybe… another time. It's a bit complicated."

"I look forward to that time."

"Thanks…"

They stood in silence again for some time before Gil spoke. "Now… what did you want to talk about?"

"Me? Oh yeah, I was here for something. Totally went blank there for a sec. Sorry!"

"It's fine."

"Well, now I guess its two things. The newest entry is that Uzume and I spoke to your sister for a bit. I did get the impression that you two had been together for a while, with nobody else. So I'm saying it now. Both Uzume and I want to be your friends. I'm sure we both feel this way. I know this might sound corny or out of nowhere, or cliché, but we'll stick by you two like glue! Hopefully for longer than this little adventure! We're a team now, right?"

"…Right."

"Exactly! So don't be afraid of us and don't bother trying to stay distant, 'cus this Nep will find a way into your heart!"

"…What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that we'll all be fast friends with each other. I'm sure of it! Since we're travelling together, that's a bit of a necessity, wouldn't ya say?"

"Yes."

"Then it's double settled! We're officially a full party!" Gil gave her a small smile after a few seconds, hardly visible in the darkness. Neptune did see it, but didn't make it known.

"And what was the second thing?"

"It's a much simpler topic. I was thinking that I could help ya out with the patrollin'. How 'bout it?"

Gil replied on instinct. "It's fine, I can do it myself."

"Oh… that's a shame."

Gil still wasn't used to talking to others, so he responded with the first thing that came to mind. "I… I didn't mean that. It was force of habit. Sorry."

"So does that mean…?"

"Yes. You can walk with me."

"Flag reached, score!"

"What does that mean?"

"Err… Nevermind that. Also kinda force of habit."

Gil let out an amused huff and then returned to his usual state. "We're travelling further down this path, towards Planeptune. There's only one area left, so it should only take a few minutes."

"Gotcha. Let's clear them out in a jiffy!"

"Yes." The two walked ahead. Neptune summoned her weapons. They were two, slim, black and purple swords, with a light blue tinge on the blade. She held one in each hand. "You use two swords while fighting?"

"Yip! Always have, always will. But don't worry, I'm no generic protagonist!"

"I don't understand."

"Don't worry about it. A few of them will."

"…Okay then."

Back at the fire, Uzume and Renna were still chatting away. "So where is this fish companion of yours?"

"You mean Umio? I asked him to stay in the other dimension to take care of my group."

"Your group?"

"Ahh, dammit. I'll tell you another time, it's too long of a story."

"Sure."

"Looks like the food is ready. We can wait for the other two."

"I think that'd be most appropriate, yeah." They listened to the fire once more. "So what's your Goddess form like?"

Uzume froze up at this question. She slightly blushed while rubbing her cheek with one finger. Her mouth was in an awkward smile and her eyebrows were angled slightly upwards. "Ehhh… It's much different from me now… I can't really tell you, I'd have to show you. It's too embarrassing to say…" Uzume stood up, preparing to transform.

"You don't have to, Uzume."

"Huh?"

"If it's too embarrassing, then you don't have to. I'm not forcing you."

"Hah… Thanks Ren…sy…"

"Hmm? Rensy?"

Uzume was still standing. Her hands were both by her face and her fists were scrunched together. Her knuckles were above her mouth so that her face was partially covered. Her expression was still the same as before she stood up. This was an… odd experience. Uzume didn't seem like the type to act all cute and stuff.

"Is… Is it alright if I call you that? I tend to nickname people like that…"

"Oh, no worries. You can call me that, it's all cool."

Uzume lifted her arms into the air. "Yay!" She realized what she just did and quickly pulled them back down. "Ahhh, dammit…" Renna didn't inquire any further into this, although she was curious. "I guess I should show you, anyway… You'll find out sooner or later, I suppose."

"If it's alright with you?"

"It… is. Just… be prepared… please?"

"Okay?"

Uzume was enveloped in light. Renna had to cover her eyes with her hands. The light soon disappeared, and she took her hands away from her face. The girl before her was around the same height as Uzume, if not minimally taller.

She wore a white, skin tight processor that covered her abdomen. It extended past her hips into a type of small, short skirt which only just reached her upper thigh. The edges of the skirt were orange. The suit reached up towards her neck but didn't extend to her shoulders. The skin on the sides of her upper chest was exposed. This part was also lined with orange. She had two grey, circular lines near the edge of her skirt as well. Her chest was fully covered, although the midsection and… slightly more was covered by a blue, slightly transparent cover. Luckily, it didn't expose everything.

Her arms were covered in long white gloves which did not cover her upper arms or shoulders. She had a sort of guard by the edge of them which reached up her arms, and they sported a few orange, slightly transparent parts similar to that on her chest area. There were also grey lines and circles visible on the guards. Her right hand had a sort of large, square bracelet around its wrist, while the left arm had a large, white, circular item. It sort of looked like a shield and had an orange triangle on it, with grey lines also present.

Her boots were long and reached to a point a bit before her knees, closer to her middle calf. They were predominantly white with orange soles. A section of the upper parts was also orange. By her feet was a small patch of blue material, also similar to her chest area. The boots, too, had grey circles. There was a sort of circular guard around her neck, but it wasn't touching the skin on her neck. It had an orange triangle on it.

Her hair was a vibrant orange and was also in two tails, although they were styled differently. They were each bunched up in a circular, loose position, on the sides of her head. Her eyes were a blue colour, lighter than the blue present on her processor.

She had a white hat that didn't cover her entire head. It had an orange triangle on it, with two white pieces shooting up from it. She also had a very happy, innocent expression. "This is Uzume's Goddess form! I'm Orange Heart! It's nice to meet you like this, Rensy." She spoke in a higher pitch, cutesy voice. Everything about her, from the way she spoke, to how she moved her hands when she spoke, was cutesy. So this is what that was about…

"It's nice to meet you too, Orange Heart."

"No, no, that won't do! Rensy can still call Uzume Uzume! Uzume wants to be best friends with Rensy, so Rensy can give Uzume a cute nickname!"

Renna had an awkward smile on, and her eybrows resembled Uzume's before she transformed. She understood why Uzume felt how she did before the transformation… "I'll… need some time to think of a nickname, Uzume."

"Really?! Uzume is, like, SO happy right now! Yay!" She started jumping on the spot, her arms in the air. She ran towards Renna and gave her a big hug. Uzume was rubbing her cheek against Renna's cheek. "We can be the bestest of friends! We can share so many stories, we can have sleep overs, and we can have fun together for, like, forever!"

Renna was feeling a bit awkward. "Yeah, that's all cool, Uzume, but could you… not hold me like this? Please?"

"Oh!", said Orange Heart, with genuine surprise. She let go of Renna and looked at her with her hands to her mouth, in a similar expression as to when Uzume was embarrassed before transforming. "Uzume total forgot about what you said about that other girl! Uzume is very, very sorry and won't be touchy feely again without your permission!" The way she was looking at Renna was so full of guilt that it almost made Renna sad that she'd said those things.

"Don't feel sad, Uzume. I don't want you to feel like you did anything wrong."

"But Uzume did! She acted like the girl Rensy told her about earlier! She doesn't want Rensy or Gilsy to think Uzume is a bad person!"

Renna thought that she couldn't possibly think that Uzume was a bad person after experiencing her Goddess form. "I don't think you're a bad person. I don't think that the person from before was all that bad, either."

"Really? So Rensy forgives Uzume?"

"Yes, Rensy forgives Uzume."

"That makes me so so happy!"

"M-Me too! Yay…"

They didn't speak for a few seconds. Uzume was humming and singing to herself. "Hmmhmmhmmmm… Lalalaaa…"

"You can transform back if you want, Uzume."

"That's a good idea! Using up energy unnecessarily is bad!" She transformed back. Uzume was looking embarrassed now. She looked away for a few seconds, and then at Renna. "So… yeah… That's what I mean…"

"I… understand now."

"I'm sorry about that."

"It's fine, really. I don't think I could hate you for that."

"Ahh, that's a relief." The two of them heard some footsteps approaching from the darkness. They looked at the source of the noise, and both Neptune and Gil emerged.

"We're baaaaaaaaack!"

"Everywhere is clear."

"So, how was it, you two?", asked Uzume.

"It was swell. We fought a few smaller monsters, nothing to write home about."

"We didn't get hurt at all.", added Gil.

"Thanks to you, Gilly. You protected me sometimes, remember?"

"I did. Why wouldn't I?"

"No reason, I'm just thanking you."

"Hm."

"Well, it's good that you two are back.", spoke Renna. "You're just in time for the food!"

"Wonderful, I'm starving! Can't wait to dig in!", said Neptune.

"Hold your horses, Nepsy. We all gotta eat, ya know?"

"I know! But that doesn't mean that your hand things have to be so slow!"

The four of them each dished up some of the meat. Neptune and Uzume provided Renna and Gil with easy to clean plates. None of them spoke to each other while they ate. It wasn't because there was nothing to talk about, but rather because they were all focused on eating. Neptune finished first, with Renna after her. Uzume finished third, and Gil was the last one.

"Nothing like some company to make eating better, right?", said Uzume.

"Yeah, totally!", said Neptune.

"Is that really a thing?", asked Renna.

Uzume leaned back in her position. "Ehh, not really. It's just to encourage more of these occasions."

"It does! It does! Friendship MAGIC!", piped up Neptune.

"Sure.", finished Renna.

After a brief silence, Gil got up from the floor. "We should retire for the night. It's late. I'll stay up to-"

"I'll keep watch!", interrupted Neptune.

"Nepsy?", said Uzume. "What's this all of a sudden?"

"I don't wanna make our two newest additions feel like they have to do SOOOOO much, ya get?"

"It's fine, really, I don't min-"

"I'm taking the first watch, and that's that! You can't stop me, Gil!" Neptune was pointing at him and had a determined smile on her face.

Renna looked back and forth between them, eyeing Neptune for a while. "Gil, you don't have to do it. She's offering, so just take it!"

Gil looked at his three companions, and ultimately submitted. "Fine. You can take the first watch."

"Oh, goody! See, Uzume, I'm not a slacker!"

Uzume let out an amused huff. "Maybe not now, but usually…"

"Heeey!"

Uzume, Renna and Gil all took to their respective sleeping bags. They were all around the fire. Gil had found a suitable spot and decided to settle. Renna saw this and moved over to his side while she was still in her sleeping bag. Uzume, not wanting to be by herself, also moved closer, but not so close as to be within touching distance.

Neptune found a good, soft piece of earth to sit. "You all ready for dreamland?"

"Yeah.", spoke Uzume.

"Already tucked in.", said Renna.

"Sure.", confirmed Gil.

"Then sweet dreams, you three! Don't let the anything-bugs bite!"

"Night, Nepsy."

"See you in the morning!"

"Goodnight."

Neptune continued to sit in her spot, observing her three partners. Uzume had the sleeping bag partially unzipped and was lying on her side. She had her arms bent out in front of her face, and her one leg stuck out slightly. Renna was also on her side, facing towards Gil.

Both of her arms were close to herself. One of them was clutching loosely at something by her neck. Neptune was sure that it was her necklace. It shone constantly and emitted all sorts of colours, forever changing. Neptune noticed it earlier, as it wasn't hard to miss. She also noticed her hair colour since it was quite unique. Cyan with brown strands? You don't see that every day.

Gil was lying on his back with his arms at his sides. He was looking up towards the sky.

Neptune watched as they all gradually fell asleep. Renna was the first to go, her eyes closing slowly and eventually shut themselves. Uzume followed after her. Her face became much more gentle when she slept. Gil stayed up for a few minutes. He continued to look up towards the sky, his eyes moving every now and then. After a few minutes and a final look towards Renna, he fell asleep.

Neptune didn't know what the time was, but she knew that it was late. "Okay… time to start."

Neptune had another idea in mind. She had thought of it earlier and figured that now was the best time to do it. She got up from her seated position and quietly made her way towards Uzume. She shook her gently and ushered Uzume awake.

"…huh, Nepsy? It's still dark out…"

"I know, it's only been a few minutes. I have a favour to ask."

"Now? What is it?"

"I need ya to look after these two for a bit. I'll just be going somewhere for a few, I won't take long. Can you do it?"

"…Yeah… Sure, I can." Uzume hadn't been in a deep sleep, so she didn't feel tired from being awoken.

"Thanks a bunch! I'll be a couple of minutes, maybe more than ten!"

"No problem, I got this covered."

"Thanks! See ya!" Neptune ran into the darkness, towards the path heading to Lastation.

"What could she be doing, now?" Uzume lifted her top half up, pulling the sleeping bag over her exposed leg. She turned to the other two and lowered herself back down onto her side, leaning on her left arm.

"But hey, that's Neptune for ya."

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom, Hyperdimension:**

Neptune was up playing games. She was playing a single player game, since Nepgear had fallen fast asleep earlier. She was almost done with a level.

"Almost done… I just know it. Come on, come on, gimme the gold! The winner screen! The big trophy or whatever!" Her wish was granted as she approached the end of the level. She passed the finish mark, and a screen saying "Congratulations!" popped up. "Yes! I knew it!"

"Good job, little me!"

"I know, right- wait WHAT?!" Neptune spun around on her couch, placing a hand on the edge of it. She came face to face with herself. Or rather, another her. Big Neptune.

"Been a bit, hasn't it?"

Neptune climbed up onto the couch and propelled herself towards… herself. She ran into her and gave her a hug. "A bit more that a bit, I'd say!"

"Hah, I guess."

"We can talk by the couches. I don't feel like using these leg things." She ran back over to her original position and big Neptune followed, sitting down next to her smaller self. "So what's up?"

"Nothing much, really. Just decided to pay a visit, seeing as it's been a while."

"It's healthy to check up on yourself every once in a while."

"I knew you'd get me." The Neptunes got along well from the moment they first met. This hadn't changed a bit since then.

"You're not staying for long, are ya?"

"Wish I could, but that's a negative. I have some responsibilities I have to take care of."

"I getcha, I getcha. What sort of responsibilities?"

"Well… Myself and Uzume have kinda joined up with this other pair of adventurers."

"Oooooh, reeeealllly? That's cool. How'd ya meet 'em?"

"We met them today, in the afternoon. There we were, Uzume and I, hopping through a portal, as you do…"

"Right?"

"And we ended up near Lastation."

"Yeah, how's that going for ya? Any nostalgia factor?"

"Not really. It's nice to see, but I wasn't really attached to anything in the first place, so I can't enjoy that feeling. Anyway, we spotted these two right out the gate."

"And, and?"

"We got along well! They saw us use the portal, so Uzume and I figured that we should spill the beans on who we are. They know Uzume's a CPU and all that stuff."

"How were they?"

"A little… wary, at first, but that's about gone now."

"That's great to hear. I'm so charismatic."

"I knooooow, right?" They briefly laughed together.

"But yeah, what were they like?"

"Definitely a unique pair. The girl was super friendly and stuff, and the boy was all stoic and whatever."

"Hmmm… What did they look like?"

"Unique, again! The girl's hair definitely stood out. It was all cyan, with some brown parts."

Neptune was slightly alarmed at this statement. "…And what were their names, per chance?"

"Names? Why, you know them or something?"

"Maybe."

"Okay then. Well, the girls name is Renna, and the boy's name…"

"…Is Gil?"

"…Yeah, you're right. So you do know them?"

Neptune was shocked at this revelation. "Yup. They've been pretty important lately."

"Ooooh, plot relevancy?"

"More than you know…"

"Please, do go on…"

"So… Ummm… How do I say this easily… Ahh, I'll just spit it out. They're CPUs."

"Come again?"

"They're CPUs. Well, half CPUs."

The bigger Neptune was the shocked one now. She leaned back against the couch, her mouth slightly agape. "That… Is quite the thing."

"Yup."

"Care to… elaborate?"

"Sure."

The smaller Neptune explained all that had happened in the past few days. She spoke about how her and her group had found out about them, and how they had escaped. She told big Neptune about how strong they were, and how they had beaten some of the CPUs. She obviously didn't forget to mention how her group had been victorious on, more or less, all occasions.

She told big Neptune about Renna's CPU form. She described how she looked, and how she seemed to act. "…She was super fast and stuff. She caught all of us off guard."

"Sounds… bad."

"It was, but we won, kinda." She continued to explain. She spoke about how they were going after another CPU called Rei Ryghts and how they wanted to kill her. She mentioned that Rei was the one who had made them into half CPUs, but didn't elaborate further on the "How" part.

She continued on, reaching the last sections. She told big Neptune of how her group had found Rei, and that Renna and Gil found her at that same time. She went on about the ensuing battle, and how Renna had fought all of them. She skipped over the part where Blanc and Plutia initiated their fights due to personal reasons. She explained how Renna was able to transform, and how both Renna and Gil had been captured. She spoke about how Plutia had encountered them after waking up, and how they escaped.

She finished off by talking about their final encounter, and Renna's omen. She left out the part about how Gil had fought the dogoos. The whole explanation took around ten minutes. "I feel like I just read a whole Nepedia."

"I told ya, a looooot-a stuffs gone down with them."

"I thought that they were interesting, but to think…"

"That's why I need to ask you to do something."

"I'm listening."

"I need you to get information on them for me. Anything at all that might help us. We'd prefer to not have to fight them anymore, ya know? So anything that could get them to stop without having to do the whole stabby-stabs would help us out a heck ton."

"I figured you'd ask that…"

"That's not all! I want you to be proper friends with them! Just act yourself around them and don't ask them too many questions. They'll tell you when they want too, I hope. That'll also make it easier for them to stop fighting, since you're bound to be a great friend with them."

"I get that…"

"Is this a little too much to ask?"

"No, it's completely reasonable. I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"Whatcha mean?"

Big Neptune looked at her smaller counterpart. "I mean, I'd prefer for them to stay as my friends without having them fighting my other friends. I don't just wanna befriend them knowing that they'll be my enemies later. I want to stop them, but in a good way."

"That's what I want, too! I want to reach the true-ending along with everyone!"

"Yeah! We'll make sure that everyone is okay!"

They high fived each other. "I know it's a lot to ask, though…"

"Hey, stop that! We both know that this is how it has to be now. It's the fate of us Neptunes to sort out any problem!"

"True, true." They sat in silence for a few seconds. After that, big Neptune got up.

"You going now?"

"Yup. Gotta take care of that… those responsibilities back there."

"Want something to eat first?"

"Nah, I'm fine. We had a hearty meal that Uzume cooked up."

"Speaking of who, how is she?"

"She's good, she's good. She wanted me to send you her regards, so here they are."

"I'm glad. Tell her I said hi, okay?"

"Got it."

The smaller Neptune had a brilliant idea. "Waaaaaait!" She jumped to her feet and rushed to the kitchen. She returned holding one cup of pudding. "A pudding, for the road."

"Awwwww… thanks, little me." They embraced each other in a hug which lasted longer than before. Big Neptune accepted the gift. "Welp, gotta get going before Uzume gets cranky. I'll see ya some other time!"

"Make sure it's soon, alright, big me?"

"You bet your Neps, little me!"

With that, a portal appeared before big Neptune. With a final wave back to her counterpart, she jumped through.

* * *

**The mountain path between Planeptune and Lastation, Ultradimension:**

Neptune arrived back in the Ultradimension. She ran over to where the campsite was and found that Uzume was still awake. "Took ya long enough."

"Sorry… Spoke for longer than I expected."

"What about?"

"I'll tell ya later. You can go to sleep now."

"Sure."

"Neptune sends her hello's, by the way."

Uzume smiled. "That's good to hear." She snuggled back down into her sleeping bag, taking a similar position as before. "Night Nepsy."

"Night, Uzume." Uzume fell asleep in a few minutes.

It was very quiet except for the nearby waterfall. The quietness gave Neptune some space to think. She sat down in her same, soft spot and thought about what she had to do. She'd really do this, huh? No matter how you spelt it, she was going to be a spy for her friends. It wasn't something that she wanted to admit, but that's what it was.

These people, Renna and Gil, were her new companions. Due to Renna's friendliness and both Neptune and Uzume's openness, they were a group now. It helped that Neptune and Uzume had dealt with travelling with people they'd just met before in the past.

Like when Uzume was in the Zero dimension and first encountered Nepgear and the smaller Neptune. She didn't immediately trust them, but she quickly warmed up to them both. Or how Neptune had met Nepgear and Uzume at first, chasing that skyfish. She'd dropped in on them while they were fighting. Or when Neptune met Kurome…

Actually, this whole scenario was similar to her and Kurome's relationship, back then.

Neptune had done a good deed for Kurome, because Neptune was just that kind. She'd formed some sort of bond with Kurome, and was on her side at first. But eventually… that fell apart. She'd tried to convince Kurome to put aside her feeling of revenge, her feeling of hatred and despair. She wanted her to see the world in a better light and was hoping that she would end her malicious plan.

She really did give her all into saving Kurome, back then… But it didn't work.

Kurome didn't listen to her pleas and they ended up being enemies. Neptune joined up with her friends, them being her counterpart and her group, and together they put an end to Kurome. She didn't feel happy about having to do that to Kurome, but she understood that she had to for the greater good. Neptune had tried to save Kurome, but Kurome was gone now. Neptune failed to save her…

…What if she failed to save these two, as well?

Neptune became sad at the thought. Her eyes became slightly watery, but she quickly wiped it away. She couldn't allow that to happen. She had to save these two and make sure they heard her when the time came. She'd do it for everyone, so that nobody had to suffer.

She'd do it for Kurome, her friend that she had failed…

She'd do it for these two so that they could walk a path not bent by revenge. She'd do it for herself, because she knew that she was one of the only people who could do this. She would do it because that is what good friends do.

With these thoughts in mind, she became even more determined than before. Neptune would tell Uzume of what they had to do soon. She and Uzume would become their new companion's friends. Their best friends, close enough to stop them from following through with their objective. They would convince them that revenge isn't something that should be sought after and that there are better ways to live.

They would explore this world together and bond over it. They would have many more nights like this, they would share many more stories, and they would open up to each other. Eventually, Neptune and Uzume would come clean. They would trust each other. Renna and Gil would listen to Neptune and Uzume's feelings, and they would understand and come to feel that way too. Neptune and Uzume would save these two. Neptune promised these things to herself. She promised to save these two.

Because that is what true friends do.

* * *

**All done! How was that? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? I sure hope so!**

**I really hope I got Uzume and big Neptune's personalities down. I'd hate to make them feel wrong.**

**I do feel that big Neptune would feel sad over what happened with Kurome. She was her ally, and she really did try to make her stop. She didn't succeed, and I can feel that weighing on her, especially now…**

**I had great fun writing Uzume's cutesy portions, I will admit. It's a change of pace, and it makes you all happy. All fluffy and stuff. Maybe?**

**I also hope that Neptune and Uzume partnering up with Renna and Gil seems alright, and not forced. I explained why they were so open to it in the last part, with Neptune's thoughts, so I hope it's clear! **

**If you have any thoughts involving these things, I'd love to hear them!**

**Not that you can't leave your other thoughts around. Reviews are nice, and stuff.**

**But yeah, I think that's about it for now…**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope that you will enjoy the coming chapters as well, if not even more than this one! And if you did enjoy this installment, that really, truly, makes me happy.**

**So yeah!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	13. Making It Known

**Greeting, everyone! Not really much to say here, besides that this chapter has some pretty important information in it.**

**That's about it.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 12: **

Renna awoke with a start. It was early morning, with the sun's rays slightly lighting the surrounding area, casting an orange hue across the landscape. She was super snuggly in the sleeping bag provided for her. She almost didn't want to get up, but she did anyway. She raised her upper body off the floor and unzipped the sleeping bag. She surveyed the campsite.

She looked towards her brother who was positioned quite close to her. She'd made sure that it was so, but personal space was important. Gil was still asleep. He was on his side, facing towards her. His face was mostly the same as always, but it projected an air of calmness not often visible while he was awake. His curly brown hair had even more cyan strands in it than before. She'd have to cut them off soon.

She looked to Uzume. She was soundly asleep and was in roughly the same position Renna had last seen her in, although more of her body was not covered by the sleeping bag. Her mouth was closed and she breathed ever so slowly.

Neptune was passed out by her spot. She hadn't even bothered to fetch a sleeping bag and had dozed off during her watch. She lied down on the floor with her arms by her side. Her hair was less organized than before and hung down her sides, touching the floor.

After viewing these things, Renna stood up slowly. She stretched her arms right up into the air and then stretched her legs by standing on the very tips of her toes, elevating herself higher into the air. She felt light and limber, ready for a day full of bodily activities. But everyone was still sleeping, and at least Neptune would still be for a few more hours. She needed to catch up on her missed sleep. Breakfast shouldn't be too much of a problem, but Uzume was the one who would provide it.

So what would she do for now? She'd probably go clear out some surrounding monsters to make sure that it's all safe. And to pass the time, of course. Which reminded her…

When, exactly, were Gil and her going to expose Neptune and Uzume to their fighting abilities? They'd met under a day ago, but they'd all decided to journey together. This meant that they'd eventually fight together. Someday soon, they'd have to show their new companions their magic. Renna's water and darkness, and Gil's fire and light. And not only for fighting, as the magic could be used in a practical sense to help with some tasks. This also meant that they'd have to show them their weapons…

It's been so long since they showed anyone. Many, many years ago. They were still both experienced with their weapons of choice, as muscle memory was not something easily forgotten. They'd have to brush up, though. It wouldn't take long. Renna thought that she'd even try to show them their abilities later today.

Should she wait for them to wake up? It would easily be a few hours before everyone was ready to go, but she could use the nearby monsters as a way to show her and Gil's capabilities. Whatever would she do? As luck would have it, Gil had started to stir. He raised his upper body and rubbed his face. He cleared his eyes and spotted his sister. She was looking away from him, towards the waterfall.

He quickly got up from his position. Renna heard the shuffling of a sleeping bag and turned to find her brother standing up. She beckoned him over and he walked towards her. "Good morning Renna."

"Morning, Gil! You're just the thing I needed."

"Why, are you bored?"

"You saying I can't hang out with ya just cus?"

"No, but there is something, isn't there?"

"…Yeah, you're right. I am a little bored, but I also want to speak to you about some things."

"Away from here?"

"Yup. By the waterfall should be fine." The two of them strolled towards the cliff overlooking the cascading water. It wasn't too loud that they had to shout, but it would muffle their voices from their companions. They sat down near the edge of the cliff, on a patch of green.

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"A few things. First things first, the important thing."

"Okay."

"So you know how we've joined up with them? That means we have to show them how we fight."

"That's… yeah, we can't avoid that."

"Could we do it today? Use the nearby monsters to do it?"

"That's a good idea. We can once they've woken up."

"Great, that's what I was thinking. And the second thing…"

"Yes?"

"How was last night, really? With your little patrol?"

"It went fine. It was as we said last night. We cleared out the monsters with no incident."

"I mean how was Neptune? How'd she act?"

"She was fine. She is quite lively, and she jokes around a lot. She does fight seriously, although the way she speaks and jokes around during battle betrays that. She is quite skilled."

"Did you catch what weapons she used?"

"Dual blades."

Renna paused. "…Really?"

"Yes. A pair of identical swords. They were slim, and black and purple. The blades were slightly blue."

"Good to know, I guess."

"She has a pistol as well. She didn't use it, but she told me she had one and showed it to me."

"She's really open about that stuff, huh?"

"It seems so."

"I think she's trying to break the barriers between you two."

"Maybe."

"And what do you think about her?"

"She's fine."

"Is that all?"

"I didn't mind her."

"Is that REALLY it?"

"Well… not quite. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't find her company… nice."

"So you've warmed up to her?"

"More like "warming up" to her. She was the one who made most of the effort."

"What, what'd she say?"

"She was really friendly to me. Like, really friendly. I spoke to her honestly about how I felt. I told her that it would take me some time to get used to her and to trust her and Uzume fully."

"And, and?"

"She never wavered. She constantly smiled at me and went on about how she would change that for the better. I think that she genuinely wants us to get closer. That includes you."

"So she doesn't seem like a liar? Comes with being open, I guess."

"Yes, it seems that way."

"But let's backtrack a bit… you said that you told her how you felt about the whole "trust" thing?"

"Yes."

"YOU told her?"

"…Yeah?"

"So YOU initiated it?"

"Yes…?"

Renna stared at Gil for a few seconds. She blinked at him a few times, and he blinked at her a few times. Renna widened her smile at Gil. She started giggling lightly and closed her eyes. Gil was about to ask her why she was suddenly amused, but was interrupted. Renna, from her seated position, playfully tackled Gil onto the ground. She held onto him from behind his back.

"Renna? What's going on? What's with you all of a sudden?", said Gil. He didn't often feel embarrassed, but this caught him off guard. He tried to pry her off, but had found no luck so far. "What're you doing, Renna?" He had found a good place to grip her hands, and he pried them away from each other. As soon as he did that, Renna's arms were no longer exerting effort. The two siblings returned to their seated position.

"Mind telling me what that was about?", said Gil, with an annoyed look on his face.

"Come on, don't be like that! I was just playing!"

"I… I know. Just, please, tell me what that whole fiasco was."

"I was happy when you told me that YOU were the one who started speaking."

"And THAT was why you decided to do that?"

"Nope. It was also a bit funny."

"Oh, great.", said Gil, sarcastically.

"It's a good thing! You wouldn't talk to her like that if you didn't trust her a bit, right?" Gil looked at Renna, not saying anything. "Sounds like you do have some faith in them. Maybe more than you think." Gil thought about what she said for a few moments. He looked towards the ground. "Seems like, deep down, you want this as much as I do. How 'bout it, Gil?"

He smiled and let out an amused huff. "Yeah. I guess I do."

"Awww… you don't know how happy that makes me!"

"I'm glad. But we can't forget about our goals. We can't abandon this."

"I know. I wasn't planning on it. But making friends along the way is nice, isn't it."

"Sure."

They both decided to wait the few hours until their partners would wake up. Uzume would probably wake up soon, but Neptune would be a while. She would take her time, and they didn't mind. She stayed up very late on her watch, so she needed this rest.

In the meantime, these two would… wait. They would simply wait. They would clean up the site and make sure no monsters approached them.

And so that is what they did.

* * *

**A few hours later, Leanbox, Ultradimension:**

Vert was up and about her business on her computer. She had already eaten and gotten dressed. She was wide awake, and she looked energized for the coming day. But in truth, she had not even gone to sleep during the night. She was feeling deathly tired on the inside, but she had to finish off a few things for her guild.

When she had finally finished, she received a call from Histoire. What could this be about? She answered the call and tried to keep up her usual tone of voice and composure. "Hello, Histoire, this is Vert speaking. How may I help you?"

"Good morning, Vert. How are you feeling?"

"Well… I could be better, in all honesty. I had to deal with a few important things throughout the night."

"Oh, then I'll be sure to not bother you for long."

Vert let out a huff. "Do not worry, you calling me is not a bother. It is nice to talk with you, as well as the others."

"I'm glad to hear that. But on to what I called you for…"

"Yes, please do go on."

"I have received some… interesting news from my Hyperdimension counterpart, so I need to share it with you."

"Oh? How many others are aware of this news, whatever it may be?"

"Plutia was with me when I received it, and I have already informed Blanc. That leaves you and Noire."

"Okay. I was just curious, is all."

"It's fine. But yes, the news. It relates to Renna, and more specifically, Gil." Vert, more interested now, felt somewhat energized from that statement. The information was no doubt very important, which aided in keeping her awake. "When they had escaped from our Basilicom, Gil had left a sample of his blood behind. You do know about the importance of it, I hope?"

"Yes. It allows Renna to transform."

"Wonderful. Your counterpart decided to pay a visit, and she asked me if she could analyze the blood. She informed my counterpart of the results, who informed me."

"And? What were they?"

"It appears that Gil's blood is almost entirely comprised of share energy. It's infused with his blood, as if pure energy is flowing through his veins."

"I'm guessing that it is Tari share energy?"

"You would be correct. It solves why it allows Renna to transform, but there are many other questions that need answers. But for now, this is all we have."

"Thank you for this. I will help out in any way in the investigation if it is at all possible in the future."

"Thank you."

"I should be going. I'm sorry to cut this short, but as I've said, I have a few things I have to do."

"No problem. Have a pleasant day, Vert."

"I wish that for you as well, Histoire."

The call was cut and Vert thought to herself. Her counterpart had analyzed the blood and had gotten the results? It had probably only been a few days since she found out. Her technology must be quite advanced. As expected of the apparent future, and her own nation.

And Histoire was right. There were still questions that needed answers. Why couldn't Renna transform without Gil's blood? Did it have to do with them being half-CPUs? Probably. Could Gil transform? And if so, would he require Renna's blood? How was the share energy being manufactured? Was it a similar case to Rei, or was it through some other means?

There were many things to ask. But to Vert, right now, she only had one thing that she knew. She REALLY wanted to sleep. She slowly made her way to her bed, and flopped down onto it. She got under the covers, and put her head by the pillows. She had other things to do, but they could wait. At this moment, she needed to rest. Badly.

Once positioned, it had hardly been ten seconds before she fell into a slumber. A well needed rest.

* * *

**The mountain path between Planeptune and Lastation, Ultradimension:**

Uzume gradually woke up. It was a gentle, slow process, without any rude awakening. She was lying down on her side, facing the campfire which burnt no more. She quickly got up and stretched her body. While doing that, she noticed that Neptune was still asleep, and that her new companions were not. How late was it? Surely, it wasn't close to midday. She hoped that it wasn't.

She looked around, scanning the surrounding areas. Renna was off by herself, investigating the local plant life. Uzume noted that whenever she spotted a colourful flower or interesting plant, she would stay there and lean down to it. She liked pretty things, didn't she?

Gil was also by himself. He was standing on the nearby bridge, looking out to the other mountains. It looked like he was standing there without any particular objective in mind. On occasion, he would shift his view to his sister and then the campsite. He was doing so at this moment. He spotted Uzume and started walking towards her.

Uzume hadn't spoken to Gil as much as Neptune did yesterday. This was definitely due to Neptune accompanying him on his patrol, so this was a nice opportunity for a little chat. "Hey, Gil, what's up?", greeted Uzume, waving at him.

Once Gil had gotten a bit closer, he replied. "Hey Uzume. Nothing much is really going on. Renna and I woke up a few hours ago, so we've been biding our time not too far from here."

"Ah, cool, cool."

"How'd you sleep?"

"I had a great sleep, thanks for asking. And yourself?"

"About the same."

Uzume was trying to think of questions to ask. She had to get to know him better, after all. "So, Gil, what were you doing over there by the bridge?"

"I was trying to figure out how long the path ahead would be. We're heading to Lastation, right?"

"Yup. It's kinda a long path, but hey, that's what adventuring is all about."

"Hm."

"So… what did you think of the view?"

Gil paused for a few seconds, thinking. "It's beautiful. The landscape around here is really enjoyable to look at."

"Yeah, there's a lot of amazing things to see in this world, huh?"

"Yes."

What would Uzume ask next? Maybe ask what he did in his spare time? She never got to decide, as Gil spoke first. "Uzume."

"Y-Yeah?", replied Uzume, ripped from her train of thought.

"Myself and Renna wanted to do something with you and Neptune later."

"Okay… I'm all ears."

"Just hear out, alright?"

"Alright…"

"We wanted to show you two how we fight."

"Huh?"

"We're going to fight together during this journey, so we came to the conclusion that we should show you."

"That makes sense, yeah."

"So, if you two are up to it, we'd like it if each of us had an opportunity to show each other our weapons, our abilities, and how we fight. Each one of us four will fight one of the local monsters by ourselves. Preferably a tough monster, so we truly show off."

"Hah, yeah, I guess. It'll let us get to know each other better, hey?"

"Yes."

"It builds our trust, too…" Gil nodded at her and made a sound of affirmation.

Uzume thought on this. They were already making a lot of effort to deepen their trust in each other. Uzume had thought of a similar idea last night, but had no idea when they would actually do something like this. To hear that they'd already decided on this…

It was most likely pushed forward by Renna. She seemed like a very friendly, down to earth person. She also did most of the talking yesterday. But Gil was the one telling her. Surely, that was a sign that he was also making an attempt?

Uzume gave out a short laugh and moved closer to Gil. "Guess you're friendlier than I thought, huh, Gilsy?" She held out her left arm and patted Gil on his right shoulder twice. Gil blinked at her a few times while she moved back to her previous spot.

Composure, Uzume. Composure… "I hope you don't mind me calling ya that? I tend to give people nicknames like that."

Gil didn't speak for a few seconds, and his mouth was ever so slightly open. Oh no. Had she been a little too friendly, too quickly? Uzume strained her face to remain composed, but it became harder as time progressed. "Please, say something!", thought Uzume.

Gil's face suddenly changed. He gave Uzume a friendly smile and his eyes became gentler. It was quick, brief, but it still held meaning. "Don't worry, Uzume. You can call me that."

Uzume mentally gave a sigh of relief. "Glad to hear that!"

Gil nodded at Uzume again and continued on. He looked at Neptune, still on the floor. "And what about that one?"

Uzume followed his eyes. "Oh, Neptune. Yeah, she stayed up late with her watch and must've passed out."

"Wouldn't you say she's had enough time to recover?"

"Yup. I'll wake her up. How about you go call over Renna over there?"

"Okay." Gil started walking towards where his sister was. She was still inspecting the plant life.

Uzume walked over to Neptune and bent down next to her. "Nepsy, time to wake up." She didn't get any sort of reply. "You've slept enough already…" Uzume poked at Neptune's face, eliciting a groan. She poked some more, and was using both of her hands. The groans became louder and louder, and eventually Neptune woke up, pushing away Uzume's fingers. Uzume let out a small laugh. "Finally awake, huh?"

Neptune, still showing a tired face, replied. "Mornin', Uzume."

"Hey Nepsy. Time to get up. We have a great day ahead of us."

"I'm sure…"

They both stayed in their positions. "You know that means you have to actually get up, right?"

"Have mercy, won't ya? I'm low on battery…" Uzume summoned her weapon, a megaphone, and placed it next to Neptune's ear. Upon seeing this, Neptune shot up with a fright. "Okay, okay! I'm awake, captain!"

"Good. So, what's next…"

Neptune raised her arms into the air. "Food! We gotta eat!"

"Figured you'd say that…"

Neptune got up and started stretching. She bounced on the tips of her feet, loosening her legs. She stretched her arms above her and to her side, moving her back in the process.

Meanwhile, Renna and Gil had arrived. Renna gave a hearty greeting to Uzume and Neptune. "Good morning, Neptune, Uzume! I hope you two slept well!"

"Hiya, Rensy."

"Wassup!"

The two pairs were together now. Renna spoke first. "So, what's the first thing on the-"

"Food! Food!", spoke Neptune, enthusiastically.

Uzume looked at Neptune slightly disappointedly, and then at the other two. "As you can see, she's already decided."

"I got no problem with that. What're we going to eat?"

"We picked up some ready-made pancakes while buying some food. They just need a little heat…"

Everyone looked towards the campfire. Most of the wood was charred, but there were a few salvageable logs. "It'd be a shame to light it up just for a few minutes.", spoke Uzume.

"And it takes too long!", said Neptune.

Renna looked towards Gil, gesturing for him to do something. Gil got the message and held out his right hand. "What about this?" A small flame ignited in his hand, floating just above his palm. Neptune and Uzume turned their heads to face him. Upon seeing the fire, they were surprised and moved back a bit due to it. They quickly returned, getting even closer than before.

"Woah, Gilly, you can use fire magic?! That's so awesome!", said Neptune.

"It's super convenient, too… Now we don't have to light up the campfire with our old tools!" , spoke Uzume.

Both Uzume and Neptune's faces were close to the fire, watching it float above Gil's hand. It didn't move, and it was clear that Gil had great control over this ability.

"No more cold nights for us! Yipee!", shouted Neptune, jumping for joy.

Uzume raised her head and looked at Gil. "Thanks, Gilsy." Gil simply nodded his head.

Renna darted her eyes between the two quickly, watching. "Let's get to it, then."

* * *

**A few minutes later, after breakfast:**

"That was nice.", said Gil.

"Simple, sweet, and delicious! Just how I like it.", spoke Neptune.

"Yeah, we haven't really eaten these in a while, so it really was nice.", said Renna.

"Oh really? You guys been on the road for long?, asked Uzume.

"Kind of. More like, away from people. We've lived away from others for a while."

"Oh, okay."

Gil got up from the ground. "Is everyone ready?"

"Yip! Ready and willing, we are!", answered Neptune.

They all got up from their seated positions on the ground next to the campfire. Gil had warmed up the pancakes by placing his hand next to them. It had only taken a few seconds. "I know where there are some tougher monsters nearby. We should prioritize them.", stated Gil.

"Who's gonna go first?", asked Renna.

Neptune shot her hand up into the air. "Oh, me, me! Pick me!"

"I'll go after her.", said Uzume.

"I'll go after you. That makes you last, Gil."

"I'm fine with that. Come, I'll lead the way."

"So what kind of monsters are these so called "tougher ones"?", asked Neptune.

"Dragons. They're all dragons. Not much variety."

"Oki-doki." They continued walking. In a few moments, they had spotted their first target. "So before we begin… Imma show you what I got!", said Neptune. She summoned her dual blades into her hands. "Gil already knows this, but you don't, Renna. I fight using dual blades. Pretty simple stuff. Nothing special 'bout em. But also…" Her swords disappeared and she quickly grabbed a pistol strapped to her left thigh. "A gun! Useful for applying pressure, or distracting your opponent! Keeps them on their toes!"

Renna and Gil silently observed. "I'll get started now!" She ran forward, a blade in each hand. She jumped up into the air playfully, spinning. "Keep your eyes on me!"

She landed and ran towards a dragone. The dragon noticed her and immediately went for a downward swipe. The claws on it were easily the length of Neptune's face. "Now, I'm no expert on monsters…" Neptune swung her right blade to meet the dragon's claw. "…But I'm pretty sure most things hate having their fingers cut!" Her sword made contact with the dragon's claw halfway through its swing. It cut into the behemoths hand, slicing in between its "fingers".

The dragon recoiled in pain as Neptune was sent back a few meters due to the force of the impact. She brought both blades into the ground to slow herself down. As she stopped, she returned to her advance. The dragon, agitated at the tiny human before it, moved its head back, readying for a breath attack. Neptune, with dexterous hands, pulled out her pistol. She shot at the monsters face, interrupting its attack. It placed a giant claw in front of its face to block the incoming fire.

Neptune took this opportunity to slide under the dragon. She returned her pistol to its holster and summoned her swords. As she slid, she cut into the monsters ankles. The beast roared in pain, placing its front claws onto the ground.

Neptune got up and swiped at the dragon's tail. The beast raised its tail out of harm's way, exposing Neptune. The tail was lowered down and was rushing towards Neptune's side. She placed both of her blades in front of her, shielding herself. The tail collided and Neptune was sent through the air, landing a fair distance away.

"Should we maybe help her?", asked Renna.

"Nah, she's got this. She's a very carefree fighter."

She got up, unfazed and unhurt from the tail. "Coulda make the landing more graceful…", she mused. She sprinted towards the dragon and jumped into the air. She threw her right blade at its chest and took a hold of her pistol with her now free hand. She shot at the monster to distract it, allowing the sword to pierce into the monster's chest. She landed on its head, gripping onto its horns. "This is like one of those rodeo machines!"

The dragon, writhing in pain, was trying to throw Neptune off. When it swung its head backwards, Neptune let go, falling to the ground. She was behind the dragon. She faced the towering beast and thrust her left sword into it. It pierced into it, reaching a similar spot as the blade in front. The dragon let out a final roar and dissipated into data.

Neptune promptly picked up her right sword, and they, too, disappeared. "Soooo… how was the show?", she asked, hands behind her back.

"Pretty good, Nepsy. Haven't lost your charm, I see.", said Uzume.

"You're quite the skilled fighter, Neptune! You make a lot of brave decisions, like charging straight at it! AND you make it work!", said Renna, with an enthusiastic voice.

"Hehehe…thanks a bunch.", said Neptune, rubbing the back of her head.

Renna looked towards Gil. "What about you?" Neptune also eagerly looked at Gil.

Gil noted that their faces were both inquisitive. "You fight well. You clearly know what you're doing. You fight smart and hard." Neptune and Renna's smiles widened. Neptune let out a satisfied squeal, while Renna looked at him.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Just seems like you're getting used to this "talking" thing."

Gil paused before answering. "That's good to hear."

Uzume walked up to the plate. "Alright, I'm next. Let's find the next one." A few minutes later, another dragon appeared. Uzume had already shown Renna and Gil her weapon.

"A megaphone?", asked Renna.

Gil looked at the weapon with intrigue. "Never seen something like that used as a weapon before."

"Oh, don't worry. There's plenty to do with it, I'll show ya." With that, Uzume rushed the dragon. It noticed her and charged at her. As it did, Uzume stopped and took a deep breath. She raised the megaphone to her mouth and screamed with all her might. Highly pressurized sound waves burst forth, so potent that they were visible to the eye. They struck the creature in the center of its chest, causing it to stumble in its stride. It was on one knee.

"Wow, okay. Didn't know it could do THAT.", said Renna.

Uzume ran up to the beast as it fell. She readied her right hand, scrunching it into a fist. She swung towards the beast's side. Along the way, she coated her arm in some sort of orange energy, forming a drill. She forced it straight into the dragon. It hit, and it had enough force behind it to push the dragon over onto its back. It was vulnerable. In a quick movement, Uzume jumped into the air above the dragon. Her megaphone disappeared and only her fists remained.

As soon as she was within striking distance, she started throwing her fists at the beast. It gradually got faster. Even faster. It was a non-stop barrage of fists, raining from the sky. "Ora ora ora ora!", screamed Uzume.

"Is that supposed to some kind of reference? A MotherNepping reference?!"

Uzume continued. The monster was battered and beaten, so it was time to finish it off. She formed the drill again and plummeted down onto the dragon. With great form, her fist connected. It gradually cut into the dragon, and eventually, the beast had shattered. Uzume was left standing where it had once been. With a flick of her hair and a fist in the air, there she stood. Victorious.

Neptune started clapping. "Ooooh, you're so cool, Uzume!"

"I was, huh? How about you two?"

"That fast and SUPER stylish! I like the way you fight, Uzume!", spoke Renna.

"It was quick and efficient. Flashy and effective as well.", answered Gil.

"Was I cool enough for ya?", asked Uzume.

"Yup!"

"Definitely."

"Allllright!", shouted Uzume, raising her fist once more.

After that, Renna stepped forward. "My turn, then." In a similar fashion as before, they waited. In due time, another dragon appeared.

"So can you show us your weapon, Renna? I'm excited to see it.", asked Uzume.

"Me too. Exciting stuff ahead!", said Neptune.

"Don't worry, you two will see them now."

"Them?", voiced Uzume.

"Yup. And trust me, it's going to be surprising. Especially to you, Neptune."

"Me? Why?"

"You'll see." She gave a final look to Gil and ran off, heading straight for the dragon.

"Damn, she's quick.", commented Uzume.

Along the way, Renna gave a tiny leap, enough to propel her just off the ground. While she was in the air, her feet, and a part of her legs, were covered by something.

They were covered by a pair of boots that slightly reached up her legs. They looked like they were made of metal. The front of them was sharp at the edges, forming a triangular sharp bit. The part behind her heels was blunt and didn't extend out. The boots could not have been fitted better.

They were grey in colour, and the soles, as well as the sharp edges, were cyan. There were a few cyan lines running up the sides of each boot with some cyan dots on the side of each line. The parts that extended up her legs reached the middle of her shins and formed a sort of sharp, V-like shape as they ended, akin to the sharp part at the edges of her feet.

She landed back on the ground and kept running. As she got to the monster, it swung both of its claws at Renna. Not stopping, she readied herself for a jump. She sent herself high into the air, just above the dragon. With a forward flip, she brought the blunt side of her left boot down onto the dragons head, knocking it down onto the ground. The dragon, although slightly dazed, quickly got back up. It looked around, trying to find its attacker.

Renna was dashing around the dragon, never staying in one spot. The dragon keep up with her, but only saw a blur. Renna would dash in for a quick attack every now and then. She would kick the dragon with the sharp, front side of her boot and jump back to a safe distance with her other leg.

But the dragon was not stupid. It had caught on to what its attacker was doing and started anticipating her movements. On one occasion, it caught Renna off guard and threw a well-aimed swing at the approaching person. Renna, although surprised, was a quick thinker. She moved her left arm across her body, projecting a thin barrier of water. The barrier was uneven and gave a false impression of where Renna was to the dragon.

It swung at the wrong spot, giving Renna an opening. She threw both of her arms forward, urging the remaining water to rush at the dragon. The water struck the dragon and pushed it off balance. Renna rushed the dragon again, landing a solid kick on its torso. She sent herself flying up into the air.

"She's… she's so fast.", commented Uzume.

"She's going to finish it now! With a stylish kick, please!", shouted Neptune, cupping her hands around her mouth.

"That's not all she has. Keep watching.", said Gil.

While Renna was in the air, the dragon got up. It was looking at Renna and was preparing a breath attack. As it let loose, Renna let out a beam of darkness. It struck the dragon's head and wrapped itself around its eyes, blinding it. With its sight gone, it wildly shook about, casting fire breath around itself at random. Renna held both of her hands out to opposite sides and summoned a blade into each of them.

They were swords. They were primarily grey and did not form a guard around Renna's hands. They looked like futuristic swords, with many sections and inlays present. The inlays and lines separating the sections were all cyan, and the blade itself was fully cyan. It looked like it constantly glowed, as if it was an energy blade, but it was made out of metal.

Renna fell down the dragons back, slicing down it with her right sword. She cut at its legs with both blades, darting in and out of being under it. All the while, it was swiping down at the ground in a blind attempt at hitting Renna. Renna then moved across its left leg, cutting its ankle with her blade. She was in front of it, and it was on one knee.

She held the swords in opposite directions, making the blades face away from each other. She moved her hands and joined the swords together at their handles. Instead of wielding dual blades, Renna was now wielding a twinblade. She held it in her left hand, and once more rushed at the beast.

She cut into the right side of i, and spun the blade around her, stabbing into the beast's center. She spun around again, holding the blade above herself. This allowed her to cut into the dragon just above its center. She wielded it expertly and could easily cut the beast with both blades in one swing. She moved around, flowing with her blade. She then placed the edge of the blade on the ground and used it to catapult herself upwards. Both of her feet hit the dragon square in its jaw, causing it to fall over once again.

In a fluid motion, Renna flipped backwards in the air, holding the blade's handle with both hands. She fell onto the dragon, stabbing into its torso once more. The dragon disappeared, and Renna was left there kneeling, the tip of her blade touching the ground. She got up and faced her party members. Her boots and twinblade both dissipated away.

Both Neptune and Uzume had amazed looks on their faces. They rushed towards her. "That was amazing, Rensy! You're so fast! And that magic… you can use water and darkness?"

"Yup.", spoke Renna, smiling widely at Uzume.

"That's so freaking cool!"

Neptune had instead opted to grab both of her hands as she stood in front of Renna. "You use dual blades too!"

"Y-Yeah…"

"That's SO cool! We're like twinsys now!"

"S-Sure…"

"That's why you said I'd be surprised, right?! Right?!"

"Yeah!"

"That's so cool!" Neptune had started jumping up and down on the spot. "Come on, Renny, jump with me! Twinsys! Twinsys!" She complied, and they were both bouncing around, spinning. Uzume, seeing the friendshippy scene in front of her, could not control herself. "Let Uzume join too! Uzume wants to play!" She joined in, and soon, all three of them were bouncing around. They were all laughing and smiling, enjoying the playful situation. "Uzume TOTALLY loves your boots, too! They're, like, suuuper cool!"

"Thanks Uzume!"

Gil stood by himself, his arms crossed. He smiled at them. Seeing all of them like this, his sister especially, was a great sight. How long had it been since she'd been able to be with people like this in such a playful situation? And he had to admit… it was an entertaining sight.

The girls noticed Gil and stopped bouncing. They lined up next to each other. They all looked at Gil with a different assortment of smile. Gil huffed amusingly to himself at this sight. They were all so happy. They returned to their normal, but still happy, faces. Gil gave them all another small smile and walked towards them. "You did well, Renna. As expected."

"Aw, thanks, Gil. Oh yeah, there's something else!", said Renna, turning to Neptune and Uzume. "My right blade is shorter than my left one. It's not easy to see while I'm fighting, so I thought I'd tell you now."

"Oh, really?", asked Uzume.

"Yup. It allows me to confuse my opponents sometimes."

"Hmm, smart."

"Thanks."

Neptune perked up. "That leaves you, Gilly!" Gil looked to her. He still wasn't used to anyone but his sister calling him that.

"We… We need to wait some more, then." For the final time, they waited. They sat together on a spot of green. During the wait, Neptune and Uzume asked Renna some more questions. When the next dragon made it's appearance, Gil stood up. "My turn." The rest of the party also stood up, and Neptune and Uzume watched him eagerly.

"What's it like, Renna? Is it like yours?", asked Neptune.

"I don't want to say anything. It's a surprise!"

"We'll see soon, Nepsy."

Gil slowly walked towards the towering dragon. It noticed him and turned to face him. He stopped walking and looked up at its face. Gil held his right arm out to his side and now held a greatsword. It was shorter than the length of his body and almost reached up to his shoulders from the ground.

The handle was cyan and didn't form a guard around his hand, similar to Renna's swords. It was also futuristic looking, with many segments and lines present. The sword was primarily grey and held a similar design to his sisters. The inlays and segmenting sections were cyan. As the blade worked up, a pair of cyan lines moved up with it, zigzagging at some parts of the blade.

There were small, cyan lights on the blade, dotting the center pieces of it. The sword was sharp on one side only. The blade's colour was again similar to his sister's, cyan. The blunt side of his sword had a thin cyan line travelling up it. Some of the cyan lights were also present near the handle of the sword.

Neptune and Uzume observed him intently. They moved around to get a better view of him. Gil and the dragon were still staring at each other. The dragon made the first move, performing a standard swipe at Gil with its left arm. Gil moved to the side, dodging it. He made a wide swipe at the creature's limb, making a long cut along it.

Gil ran along the creature's arm, cutting across it in the process. He eventually turned the blade and stabbed at the creature's right leg, plunging the blade into it. The dragon roared in pain and swiped at its injured leg, causing Gil to retreat back. The dragon reared its head and shot fire at Gil. Gil raised his left arm in response, projecting fire at the approaching flame. The flames clashed in the middle and stayed like that for a few seconds.

"Oh yeah…", spoke Renna. She had also moved with Neptune and Uzume.

"Hm? What's wrong, Renna?"

"My brother has a neat trick up his sleeve."

"And what is it? Is it cool?", asked Uzume.

"Hmmmm… I dunno…"

"Oh, come on! I want to know!"

The three of them watched on. The fire match was at a stalemate. Gil dodged to his left and made a dash towards the beast. It swiped at him again with its right arm this time. Its previous wounds had already healed for the most part. Gil swung at the claw, making contact. He deflected the claw to his left and ran towards the dragon. He moved behind the monster and lowered himself to the floor. He readied himself and shot himself into the air, jumping over the dragon.

While he was in line with the head, he shot out a beam of light at it, blinding it temporarily. The dragon, in a state of frenzy, threw its arms out in his general direction. Gil cut at them as they approached him, slicing into and along the arms.

Gil readied his sword for a thrust and charged at the beast. But the dragon regained its sight. It swung at Gil with both of its claws. Gil blocked the swipe with his sword but was sent crashing a distance away. He got up not long after, his three companions looking at him. They looked slightly worried, something that Gil was trying to avoid. Gil was fully aware of how strong he was, so the very thought of him worrying them made him angry at himself. He narrowed his eyes while getting up from the floor.

"I think he's going to do it now.", said Renna. The three girls were on the edges of their figurative seats.

Gil's sword started to shift. The segments started to move by themselves and were reorganizing themselves. Gil stood up again, his sword still shifting. By the time he was upright, he was holding a completely different weapon.

He was holding a spear. It was about the same size of his sword, but was much thinner. Like his sword, it was also futuristic looking. It was decorated with the same colour scheme. Primarily grey with cyan lines working its way up the shaft. The cyan lights were present on the shaft and on the spearhead. The spearhead was mostly grey, as well. It was triangular in shape and was pointed at the edge, shaped like an arrowhead. The edge of the blade, as well as the lining of the back part of the head, was cyan.

Gil held the spear behind him and was ready to go. He rushed at the beast for the final time. This time, the dragon thrust its left claw at Gil. Gil stabbed at it, impaling straight through the palm of the claw. He quickly retracted the spear and continued moving.

Gil leapt into the air, performing a side flip and using the momentum to thrust at the dragons head. The dragon swiped at him with its right claw but Gil sliced it away. He landed on the dragons shoulder and moved behind its neck. He held the shaft across the neck, strangling the dragon. This caused it to fall down in an attempt to shake Gil off. Instead, Gil dropped to the ground and watched as the dragon fell to the floor.

In a single strike, Gil impaled the dragon in its neck. It let out a weak roar and shattered. He stood up and looked at his group, the data crystals rising up around him. Everything about the way he stood brimmed with confidence. His stance, his serious demeanour, and his eyes. They were so confident.

"Wow…", spoke Uzume.

"That was something else.", said Neptune.

"As expected of my little brother! Good job!"

Gil nodded at them all.

"So… your weapon can change from a greatsword to a spear?", asked Neptune.

"Yes."

"That's so freaking cool.", said Uzume.

"Thanks."

Neptune held her hands behind her back. "How does it work?"

"I don't know all the details. There's a mechanism inside of it."

"Hmmmm… cool.", summed up Uzume.

They were all done with showing off and were deciding on what to do next. Neptune put a hand on Uzume's shoulder. "How 'bout you two go on ahead? Myself and Uzume need to pack up some stuff."

Renna looked back at them. "You sure? We could help you guys out…"

"Nah, it's fine. Scout out the path, make sure it's good to use."

"Alright then… Let's go, Gil."

"Okay."

Renna and Gil walked on ahead, leaving Neptune and Uzume by themselves.

"Nepsy, what more is there to pack up? Did you forget something, or…?"

"No, we don't have to do anything like that. I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"And it had to be away from them?"

"Well… it actually concerns them."

"Huh? Don't make me worried, Nepsy."

"I… can't promise anything." They walked towards the previous camp. "Here should be fine."

"So, what's up?"

Neptune took a deep breath in and a deep breath out.

"Renna and Gil are CPUs."

Uzume was taken aback by this and had a surprised expression. "Come again?"

"They're CPUs. Well, half-CPUs."

"You sure? How do you know?"

"Last night when I spoke to little me… she told me about them."

"Wait wait wait... So she knows them?"

"Yup. She told me all about them."

"Then… Then it's true?"

"Yup. Completely."

"Tell me more."

Neptune started her explanation. She told Uzume about how little Neptune and her group had first found Renna and Gil. She told her about the first battle, and how they'd escaped. She told Uzume about the second battle, and how Histoire was kidnapped. She told Uzume about how they got Histoire back and about how they first met Renna's CPU form. She told Uzume about how Renna and Gil were after a CPU named Rei, and how they wanted to kill her. She explained how Rei was the one who turned them into CPUs. She spoke about how little Neptune's group had found Rei and how Renna and Gil had found her at that same time.

She spoke about the ensuing battles, and how Renna and Gil had been captured. She went on to explain how they had escaped, as well. She finished off her explanation by telling Uzume about little Neptune's last encounter with Renna and Gil, and the final words that Renna spoke. Uzume had remained surprised for the duration of the explanation.

"I… I can't not believe that."

"I know."

"Them… I'd never pinned them for…"

"CPUs, yeah."

"That's why they're hiding it from us? Because of their objective?"

"Probably, yeah."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yup. Little me wants us to tell her any important things about them both."

"So we need to tell her about what weapons they use…"

"Yup."

"Wow…"

"She wants us to be friends with them, as well. So that it will be easier, in the end."

"But… But Nepsy…", spoke Uzume. She had a sad tone of voice. "I want to be friends with them because I want to, not because I need to."

"I know, Uzume. I feel the same way."

Uzume placed a hand to the side of her head."I don't really want to betray them, ya know? It leaves a bad taste in the mouth just thinking about it."

"I feel the same way."

Uzume wiped her face with her hands in a frustrated manner. "Dammit, why'd something like this have to happen in the first place?"

"I don't know."

"So what's the plan?

"We'll listen to little me."

"Huh?"

"But we'll do it our way. We'll be the bestest of friends with them no matter what! We'll convince them that they don't have to walk this path."

"So you wanna convince them to stop chasing after that "Rei" CPU?"

"Yes! We'll save the both of them! In due time, we'll save them."

Uzume placed her hands to her hips. She looked out to her left, looking down the path they'd be taking. She saw Renna and Gil looking around it."Hah. Yeah, I'm in. Not like I was gonna say no in the first place."

"Thanks. Trust me, little me doesn't want to fight them either, and she would rather solve this peacefully. And I agree! We'll make sure that they stop!"

"Yup. Guess we gotta go on a grand adventure with these two to save the day, huh?"

"Yeah. We'll make sure everyone comes out happy."

They let a slight breeze blow past. Uzume sighed. "Damn, that news really does hit hard…"

"Eh, it's fine. Just means that you care a lot."

"Y-Yeah…"

They heard a shout from afar, spotting Renna a distance away. "Heeeeeey! You twoooooooo! Coming anytime sooooooooon?"

Neptune and Uzume looked at each other and exchanged meaningful smiles. "Yeah! We're coming now!", shouted Uzume.

And such, they started walking forward towards their newest companions. They regrouped and made their way through the mountain path.

With Uzume fully aware, they both knew what they had to do. They would gain Renna and Gil's trust. They would, as Neptune said, be the bestest of friends. They'd laugh together, smile together, and feel sad together. They'd build each other up and support each other no matter what. They would share their stories, and Renna and Gil would share theirs.

They would eventually talk about their past. This is what Uzume and Neptune hope, at least. They needed all the information they could get to help little Neptune, and her group.

But also to help these two. They would all be great friends, and Renna and Gil would eventually open up about their objective. They'd convince Renna and Gil that they didn't have to live like they did, seeking revenge. They'd save their two new friends. That was Neptune and Uzume's first objective. To become friends with them, and help them with anything they needed.

And that hadn't changed. Not one bit.

* * *

**Finally finished!**

**I hope the fight scenes were good. I do try to accurately describe their movements, so I hope that comes out well. ****I also hope that I gave a nice, and clear, description of the weapons Renna and Gil use. I know the explanations are kinda long, but yeah.**

**I hope the part with Uzume finding out about Renna and Gil through Neptune is alright, and doesn't seem rushed. I REALLY hope that part is good. ****Also the bit with Ultra Vert. I wanted to add in a part where I made it known that THAT information was spread. Seeing as it's, like, super important and stuff.**

**Nothing much else, really…**

**I always appreciate any reviews and thoughts left by you all! I'd love it if I heard about the things I brought up this time, as well. Truly, I mean this. Don't really know how else to describe it, besides what I've already said. It's all genuine!**

**So yeah, thanks for reading, and I hope this chapter was enjoyable to read! I hope that ALL the chapters are enjoyable to read, for you guys! So yeah!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	14. Little Light

**Hello everyone! Sorry to keep you waiting!**

**This is about a day late… I'm sorry! I really am! ****Yeah, a day late. Not that much of a delay, huh? It still makes me feel bad…**

**Again, I'm really sorry.**

**Cool things, and mysterious thing ahead. Yay!**

**But anyway…**

**Enjoy…**

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

Neptune, Uzume, Renna and Gil were all still travelling towards Lastation. They were getting closer, and were approaching a road. Neptune pointed out towards it. "Hey, hey, we're close to the city!"

Renna looked out at the city. "What is that big building there anyway?"

Neptune pointed towards the massive structure. There were many sharp angles and organized beams that could be seen even from far away. "It's the Basilicome of Lastation!"

"So that's where the Goddess of this nation lives…"

"Why does it have to be so big?", asked Gil.

"I dunno. It's a common theme for all nations, so get used to it.", answered Uzume.

They moved onto the road and were walking on the sidewalk. They were travelling further into the city. It seemed very business orientated, with many factories and large buildings around them as they moved further in, and there were always vehicles moving in the streets. Most of the buildings were black to dark grey in colour with light blue lights and windows.

But none stood out as much as the center building. It had an incredibly large double wing-like structure that reached high up into the air. The colour of the wings was a greeny-blue colour, similar to teal. The parts supporting the wings were golden-yellow in colour. Above it was a skyline comprising of many horizontal black beams that formed a sort of cage over the city, with some pieces wider than others.

"What's with the cover over the city?", asked Renna.

"I'm not so sure. I think it's just some sort of technology based thing. Maybe it's some sort of networking connection?", said Uzume.

"I see some smaller buildings hanging off of it. It's like how bees make their hives off of trees! The whole thing is just one big tree!", said Neptune, perking up. "The nation is a beehive, and all the people are the bees! It looks like this nation is very busy, so all the people are BUSY-bees! It's so fitting!"

The other three stared at her with questioning eyes. "…Besides the whole nature comparison, this place seems alright. Doesn't seem evil.", spoke Uzume.

"So what're we gonna do first?", asked Renna. Everyone stopped walking and thought about this for a bit.

"Let's go visit some nearby shops! It'll be nice to see some of the local goods.", suggested Neptune. Everyone agreed.

"What sort of shop are we going to visit first?", asked Gil.

"How's about a clothing shop?"

"Clothing? Why?"

"Come on, Gil. Looking at clothes is always fun! Maybe we'll also get something new!", spoke Renna.

Gil looked at Renna and then at the other two. "Clothing it is, then."

They all walked down the street. Gil spotted a map of the local area on a notice board containing a few requests. His companions soon joined him in looking at the map. Gil put his finger on a particular point. "This is the closest clothing store. It's not far from here."

"Oh, goody!", rejoiced Neptune.

Renna, in the meantime, was looking at the requests. They were posted by the guild and they were all different skill levels. "Watcha looking at, Rensy?"

"These guild requests. They're all about fetching some sort of material or clearing out a certain area."

"Oh, spot any that interest you?"

"Not yet, no." Renna surveyed most of them, but stopped on a particular request. It was a typical "Clear out the dungeon of monsters" quest, but that is not what drew her in. It was the name of the dungeon…

Vida Dimension. Upon reading the name, Renna immediately took an interest. She looked at it and put her face closer to it, trying to focus on the name. The more she looked at it, the more she wanted to travel there. "Rensy?" She didn't know why, but she had this strong urge inside of her to visit this place. It was very strange, but she felt that it was highly important. "Um, Rensy? You okay over there?"

Renna was pulled out of her focus. "…huh? What?"

"You're staring quite hard at that one request… Let me see it…" Uzume moved next to Renna and looked at it. "…Vida Dimension? Never heard of that place."

"Neither have I. I want to go there later."

"Any special reason why?"

"Nope. Just have a feeling."

"I get what you mean. Sometimes you just wanna explore a place for the hell of it, right?"

"Yeah." Renna could not bring down this urge. She continued to stare at the information, with Uzume eyeing her questioningly.

Uzume gave a huff of amusement and put her hand on Renna's shoulder. "Later, alright? Don't go jumping the gun now."

"Sorry, sorry. Later."

They returned their focus to Neptune and Gil, who were chatting away about something. Renna and Uzume eyed the two. Gil seemed to have his usual face on. He didn't look happy or sad. Neptune was smiling at him, and laughed a few times. She moved her body around a lot when she spoke. Renna, in particular, raised an eyebrow at this.

"What're you guys talking about?", asked Renna.

"Just the usual babble. I was picking Gil's brain."

"What about?", asked Uzume.

"Neptune was asking me about what I thought of this city."

"Oh, cool, cool.", spoke Renna.

"And what do you think, Gilsy?"

"I'm not sure how to feel. It seems to be a very organized place. I hope that the Goddess here isn't some sort of tyrant." Renna perked up at this and looked towards Gil.

"I'm sure she's not. This world was brought to peace, as far as I know.", said Uzume.

"That's good to hear.", muttered Renna.

Neptune decided to continue on that subject. "Yeah, I can't imagine what it must be like to live under THAT sort of ruler."

"Must feel like hell. Not being able to do basic things must be such a pain.", spoke Uzume.

Renna and Gil didn't say anything.

"What about you two?", asked Neptune. The siblings were both caught off guard.

"Huh?!"

"What?"

"Weren't you two listening? About the whole tyrant thing?", said Uzume.

"Oh, right, sorry.", said Renna. "Yup. Must feel like hell."

Neptune smiled at her. "Mmmhmm."

"Anyway, moving off from depressing topics… where's the shop, Gilsy?"

"…It's down the street. I'll lead the way."

"Coolio!"

They all continued to walk through the city. Many of the passerby's were wearing business suits, and were looking very busy. Many people were talking on their cellphones or little earpieces. There was a very strict air present, but not one that was because of malicious means. They could all tell that these people were simply devoted to their Goddess.

They eventually reached the shop and stopped at the entrance. The door was in the center, with a small set of stairs leading up to it. On either side of the door were two large windows. They each held two life-size mannequins with clothing on them. The entrance was painted in black, with silver lining the edges of the door and windows.

"Looks interesting enough.", spoke Uzume.

"Yup! Let's go inside!", suggested Neptune. As soon as they entered, they were cooled off by aircon. The interior was quite large. There were two levels, with the upper one reachable by a wooden set of stairs. The top level formed a sort of balcony over the lower level.

"This shop looks very… different, from the rest of the city.", spoke Gil.

"Yeah. Less futuristic, and more… I don't really know what to call it.", admitted Renna.

"I'll go ask!"

"I'll join you!"

Both Neptune and Renna rushed off towards a shop attendant that was behind a long, wooden counter leaving Uzume and Gil alone. After watching the two run off, Uzume turned to Gil. "So… wanna have a look around?"

"Sure. Lead the way."

They walked around the shop slowly, picking out clothing to look at. It was mostly Uzume who was choosing the clothes, but Gil did like a few things. Uzume stopped suddenly and looked at Gil. "So, Gilsy…"

Gil stopped and turned around. "Yes?"

"What's with your hand?"

Gil raised his right arm, looking at it. "Do you mean the glove?"

"Yeah. I was wondering if it's there for any special reason."

"No."

"Really? Nothing at all?"

"Nothing special."

"Awww… that's a shame."

"Why?"

Uzume looked at Gil, her eyes glistening.

"I maybe thought that you'd have some sort of cool demon power! Like, you have to seal it with a limiter or something!"

"Not quite."

Uzume's hands now joined by the top of her chest with her fingers sticking out. "And maybe, like, we're all going to go on a super-duper cool journey with each other and beat the evil demon who cursed you or something!" Gil was very confused at this sudden change in Uzume. Her voice was becoming higher pitch, and she spoke differently. "And, like, we'll all get some awesome cool powers and weapons, and become the bearers of some great destiny, and…"

Gil was looking at Uzume with a very confused face. He looked around him. Renna and Neptune were on the second level looking at clothing. There were other people in the shop, but luckily for Gil, they weren't very close to him. "Uzume?"

"Oh, yes, Gilsy?", spoke Uzume. She was still speaking in a higher pitch voice, and was acting very… different.

"How about you continue to tell me this story somewhere else, without anybody around?"

"Oh, sure! Uzume will speak on the way!"

Gil had to find somewhere to go, and quickly. He didn't really want other people to see Uzume like this. He wasn't sure why she was acting like this, but he knew that he had to get her out of sight. He grabbed the clothing Uzume had picked out and held them under his left arm. He grabbed Uzume at her wrist with his other hand.

He spotted a sign that pointed towards a changing area and rushed over there with Uzume. There were a few stalls in the room, and luckily for Gil, all of them were available. This meant that nobody was here. Good. All the while, Uzume had been going on about a grand adventure where all four of them embarked on an epic quest to save the world from a demon lord.

Once inside the room, Gil closed the door, dragged Uzume further inside, and turned to face her. "…and we all come together for, like, this final, super cool, friendship attack!"

"Uzume."

"Yes, Gilsy?"

"Why are you talking like that?"

Uzume snapped out of her thoughts, her eyes returning to normal. She saw that Gil was staring at her with a confused face. Uzume looked at him with a fearful and embarrassed face, dashing into one of the stalls and squealing due to the embarrassment.

Gil looked at the stall with half-lidded eyes. He didn't really know what to make of this situation. "Uzume?"

"Y-Yes!"

"What was that?"

"I don't know what you mean!"

Gil leaned on the stall. "Uzume?"

"Whaaat?!"

"Tell me what that was about."

The entrance to the stall was two sliding fabric covers, almost like curtains. Uzume stuck only her head through so the rest of her body could not be seen.

She was blushing, looking away from Gil. "Just don't laugh, okay?"

"Okay."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes."

"One hundred percent?"

"One hundred percent."

Uzume raised her head to look at Gil and sighed."Fine. Come inside here…"

Gil was still confused. "Okay."

Uzume drew her head back, blocking her from sight. Gil slowly entered the stall. Uzume was sitting down on a wooden sitting space opposite a mirror. Her elbows were resting on her knees and her hands supported her chin. Her eyes were not fully open, drooping a bit. Gil opted to stand in a corner, leaning against the walls of the stall. He crossed his arms and looked at Uzume.

"So…", started Uzume.

"So."

Uzume sat up and looked at herself in the mirror. She mentally prepared herself and started explaining. "I'm going to give you a very brief rundown since we don't really have a lot of time here. I'll be sure to tell you and Renna about it later."

"That's fine."

"Your sister already knows about… this. About how I just acted."

"She does?"

"Yup. Guess it was your turn, huh?"

"I guess. Please, go on."

"O…Okay. Whew. So… You know how I quickly gave you and Renna those nicknames?"

"Yes?"

"That also plays into this. I usually give them to anyone that… I hold… close to me."

Gil maintained his face. "Oh. Oh, okay."

"Yeah. I do want to be closer to ya guys, ya know?"

"You don't need to prove that, Uzume. I already picked up that you do."

Uzume shifted her eyes towards him. "That's… That's really relieving, Gilsy." Gil gave Uzume a small smile which put her at ease. "I used to always act like that. I was talking and acting cutesy all the time many years ago. So long story short, that old personality of mine sometimes breaks through. I tend to daydream a lot about fantasies, as you… might've figured out by now."

"Yeah."

"I daydream about many girly things as well. So… don't be put off by when that happens, please?"

"I'll… try."

"Thanks…"

"I have a question."

"Y-Yeah?"

"Why is it that you changed how you act? You said it was years ago, so what happened?"

"That's… a long story. In short, due to circumstances, I was kinda forced to change. The world around me didn't let me act the way I wanted."

Gil suddenly felt a very… sad… feeling inside him. He could somewhat empathize with Uzume. The world had forced him and his sister into something, just like this girl in front of him. He looked at her with meaningful eyes. "Uzume."

"Yes?"

"That's over now, right? Those circumstances, I mean."

"Yeah… It's all over."

He looked a little relieved at that as he closed his eyes. "That's wonderful to hear." He shifted from his leaning position to a standing position. He took a few steps towards Uzume, with her looking at him the entire time. He placed some clothing down next to Uzume. "Those are the pieces you wanted to try. I'll wait outside."

Uzume looked at the clothes, and then at Gil. "Thanks." Gil left the stall. In the next few minutes, Uzume would walk out of the stall, showing off her selected clothes. Sometimes it was just an accessory or two and other times it was an entire outfit. She tried on a few hoodies, some pants to go under her skirt, and a few socks and shoes.

"Anything you like?", asked Gil.

"I think I'll stick with my usual get up. Less stuff to take along with me."

"What about if it gets cold?"

"I'll manage, for now. Maybe some other time."

"Okay. Let's join up with the other two."

"Sure."

They walked out of the stall, spotting Neptune and Renna at the counter. Gil suddenly remembered Uzume's past question. "Oh yeah…"

"Hm? What's up, Gilsy?"

"I didn't tell you what the glove was for."

"That's… true."

"It's for when I use my weapon. Same goes for Renna. I'm right handed, so it covers my right hand. Renna is ambidextrous but favours her left hand when using the twinblade. Which is why it covers her left hand."

"Ahh… that makes sense, I guess."

"And… Renna thought it would look cool."

"Pffft, ha." They rejoined the other pair at the counter. "What's up, you two?", asked Uzume.

"Greetings, compatriats!", spoke Neptune, heartily.

"Hey, you guys.", said Renna.

Gil looked between them. "Did you get anything?"

"Nope, unfortunately.", answered Renna.

"I was lookin' out for any jackets like mine, but couldn't find anything… I wanted Renny over here to have one."

"Would've been nice.", said Renna. Gil gave a small nod.

"Alright then.", spoke Uzume.

It was afternoon and the sun was beginning to set. "We should find someplace to settle down for the night.", suggested Gil.

"Great thinking! Let's find a hotel or something!", spoke Neptune.

"Hotel? Are we not going to camp out like last night?", asked Renna.

Uzume laughed. "No, why would we do that? We're in the city, after all."

"Oh… S-Sorry, just used to camping out…"

"It's fine."

"There should be a hotel kind of close to here. I saw it while looking at that map earlier.", said Neptune.

"We should go, then.", said Gil. He felt the same way as his sister, but they both knew that this is how it should be.

They all started to walk towards the exit, when Uzume stopped and turned around. "Just need to ask something quickly, I'll catch up!" She ran back to the counter and started talking to the employee. The three walked out into the street and turned right. In a few minutes time, Uzume rejoined them.

"What'd you want to ask, Uzume?", asked Renna.

"Hmmm… nothing, really."

"Really?"

"Really."

They continued walking. In under a half an hour's time, they found the hotel. Renna looked straight up. "It's… quite a big place."

"Get used to it. It's like this wherever you go.", spoke Uzume.

They entered the building and Neptune rushed to the counter. "Room for four, please!" After a brief chat to arrange where they stayed, Neptune returned with a set of keys. "We're on the forty third floor and we've got the twelfth room on it!"

Renna widened her eyes in surprise. "FORTY THIRD floor?! I knew it was large, but geez… that's a lot…"

"Elevator's over there. We should take it.", pointed out Gil. They all entered the elevator and enjoyed an uneventful minute while rising up the building. They reached the forty third floor and travelled down the left corridor. They quickly found their room and Gil opened the door. He entered, and Uzume found a light switch to turn on.

Although it was a room for four, it was quite large. They were greeted by a standard living room with three couches, a table, and a TV by the opposite wall. The kitchen was situated not far from the living room. There was a doorway on the right of the living room, leading into the bedroom. Inside the bedroom, it was fairly plain. It was a square room with two sets of two beds opposite each other. There was a cupboard by the furthest wall, and it was large enough to hold multiple pieces of clothing. The room was generally grey, with white floors and black furniture. It looked semi-futuristic.

"Well, better make ourselves at home.", spoke Neptune.

They quickly made themselves comfortable. Since they carried all their supplies in the pocket service, there wasn't a need to unpack. However, Uzume did place some food in the fridge. After a few minutes of settling down and Uzume setting up dinner, they sat by the couches. Renna and Gil sat on the couch facing the TV, with Renna on the left of it and Gil on the right of it. Neptune sat on the couch closest to Gil, and Uzume sat on the couch closest to Renna.

"How about we ask each other some questions?", asked Uzume.

"I don't mind.", said Renna.

Neptune had a bright idea. "Oh, oh! We can make a game of it!"

"How so?", asked Gil.

"We can… spin a bottle!" Neptune ran to the kitchen and picked out a bottle of water, emptying it into a few glasses. After a few trips, everyone had one glass of water each, and there was an empty bottle on the table. "You guys ever heard of spin the bottle?"

"A few times, yeah. Never tried it out myself.", answered Uzume.

"Nope.", spoke Renna.

"No.", said Gil.

"Well here are the rules of this game! We spin the bottle twice. Whoever it lands on the first time is the one going to ask the question, and the second person is the one going to be questioned!"

"Simple enough.", spoke Uzume.

Renna looked slightly worried. "That… kinda makes me nervous, and excited."

"Good! Can we get started?", asked Neptune.

"Yeah."

"Yup."

"Yes."

"Okay… and away we go!", spoke Neptune as she let the bottle loose. It was spinning too fast and fell off the table.

"Nice going there, Nepsy."

"Heeeey! I was just a little excited, is all. This time it's for real." She spun it again and the bottle remained on the table. It spun and spun and spun, and eventually slowed down.

It came to a stop on Neptune. "Oh, goody!" She pointed at each of them. "One o' you's about to be questioned! Go, go!" She spun the bottle again. It spun similar to before, and started to slow down. "Remember, you have to be honest!" Neptune leaned over on the couch, covering the sitting space.

It slowed down even further. "And the first person to be questioned tonight is…" It stopped on Gil. "Gilly!" Neptune raised her arms above her.

Gil simply stared at the bottle with a disappointed look. "Of course…"

Neptune crawled over to the arm of the couch closest to Gil and rested her arms on it. She leaned on her arms and looked at Gil with a devious smirk. "What to ask, what to ask…", she pondered, always looking at Gil. Gil was a little nervous, he admitted to himself. Neptune's eyes suddenly widened, as did her smile. She let out a mischievous giggle, covering her mouth with her fingers.

"W…What's so funny?", asked Gil.

"Nothing, nothing… anyway… On to the question!"

"Which is?"

Neptune raised herself up and looked directly at Gil. "What's your favourite thing about Uzume so far?"

Uzume was caught off guard and almost spat out the water she was drinking. She quickly swallowed, and looked to Neptune. "What the hell, Nepsy?"

"It's all in good fun, Uzume!"

"Don't surprise me like that!"

"It was funny!"

"Still!"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's listen in on the answer, though."

They all looked to Gil, who was thinking. He had his right hand to his head, supporting it. He was playing with his hair while doing so. Renna was very interested in what he was going to say and was looking at him with a happy face. He looked up, ready to answer.

"Here we go…", said Neptune, leaning in closer.

"I can't look…", said Uzume, turning away.

"I like…", he started. He let out a small amused huff, and continued. "I like how genuine she is."

"Hmmm?", came from Neptune.

Uzume turned towards him. "…what?"

"What do you mean?", asked Renna.

"She's a genuine person. I don't know how else to describe it."

"What about her little… "quirk"?", asked Neptune.

"Yeah, I witnessed that today. I don't mean "genuine" as in she doesn't lie, I mean it like… I don't know. She is a very easy person to get along with, I feel. We've only been together for a little while, but I get that impression. She's honest about what counts, and is a very… friendly person. She doesn't let the fact that she's a Goddess go to her head. She's... sincere in her actions." Uzume was gazing at him with a small open mouth. Gil was looking down at the floor the entire time.

"So it's not that she's super cute, or is like, totally sexy and stuff, right?", asked Neptune.

"I'd rather not answer those kinds of questions.", answered Gil quickly.

"Boo…"

Uzume had a small smile.

"Onto the next one!"

This time, Renna was the one asking the question and Neptune was the one being questioned. "How'd you meet Uzume?"

"Oh, that. Yup, I'll give you a summary." Neptune told her about how she had literally dropped in on them while Uzume was fighting a big monster. She said how she was chasing after a skyfish and fell through a gap. She left out the parts about how Uzume fought alongside Nepgear, and that the monster they were fighting was actually a being named Arfoire. "…And that's about it, I suppose!"

Next it was Uzume questioning Gil.

Gil stared at the bottle with a similar expression to the first time. "Again, seriously?"

Uzume looked at Neptune mischievously and faced Gil. "What's your favourite thing about Nepsy... so far?"

"Wha-wha-whaaaaaaaat?!", came from Neptune.

"Revenge is sweet, Nepsy…"

Gil rolled his eyes and thought for a bit. "I'd say that it's similar to your thing, Uzume. It's also different, though. She's very friendly and makes an effort to get to know you. The difference is that she's very, very open about certain… things. VERY open."

Neptune closed her eyes, and playfully hit the side of her head with her knuckles. "Tee-hee!"

The next one was Uzume questioning Renna. "How'd you get that necklace? It's very pretty."

"Oh, this?" Renna took a hold of the bright gem. Her eyes became glossy. "Gil got it for me a long time ago." She had a very happy face on while speaking.

"What's it made of?"

"I… I'm not quite sure. It's very special to me, nonetheless."

They continued asking questions throughout the night. After a while, they retrieved a simple supper from the kitchen and ate it at their seats. When they were done, they continued to ask many questions. Everyone learnt quite a bit about each other.

Neptune's favourite colour was purple, Uzume's was orange, Renna's was blue, and Gil's was red.

Neptune enjoys catching bugs and eating pudding, Uzume enjoys exercising and exploring places, Renna enjoys looking at and playing with flowers and nature, and Gil enjoys looking out at the sky at night.

The "What's your favourite thing about…" question was asked by everyone. Everyone tried to keep it short as to not drag it out. Embarrassment was still present, nonetheless.

Since Gil had been questioned before, he only had to answer one more of those things. His favourite thing about Renna… Gil gave one answer to summarize everything. He enjoyed how close they were. How friendly and honest she was with him, how playful and encouraging she was with him, and how dependable she was to him. Renna hugged his side playfully, tackling him down onto his side.

Neptune was next. She liked how awesome Uzume was. She liked how strong she was, how confident she was, and how "cuuuute~" she was at times. She liked how Renna was very friendly and how down to earth she was. She also liked how Renna seemed to have some sort of aura of innocence around her. She liked how fun it was to play with Gil. And by play, she meant tease. She liked how dependable he was, and despite how he looked, his thoughtful nature.

Uzume was after her. She liked how fun it was to be around Neptune. She always brought up great and wacky situations, and all in all was a great friend to Uzume. She liked how Renna acted. She liked how quickly Renna accepted her "cute" mode, and how Renna was playful yet responsible, and also how she was super friendly. She liked how considerate Gil was. She thought back to when she told Gil about her "cute" mode. She appreciated how he didn't judge her because of it.

Renna was the last one. She enjoyed how fun it was to be around Neptune. She was always joking and lifting the mood for everyone around her. She liked how encouraging and driven Uzume was while still acting very friendly. She was a nice person to stay by. She loved how Gil was always there for her. She greatly appreciated how smart and resourceful he was and how he would always try to help her, no matter what.

She also liked that he thought the same of her.

The rest of the night was fairly uneventful. They retired to their bedroom after a few hours. Everyone had their turn in the shower, and soon they were all ready for bed. They hopped into bed and unanimously agreed to discuss their plans for tomorrow, tomorrow.

"Goodnight, everyone! Don't let the Nep-bugs bite!", said Neptune.

"Goodnight, all. Sweet dreams.", said Uzume.

"See you all in the morning! Rest well.", spoke Renna.

"Goodnight.", said Gil.

Uzume turned off the light.

"…Sleep well.", finished Gil.

And all of them eventually fell into a slumber.

* * *

**Morning:**

The group all awoke at about the same time. It was early in the morning and the sun was up. They all quickly got dressed, with Gil doing so in the bathroom, and made their way to the living room. They all ate a simple cereal and discussed their plans afterwards.

Neptune stretched her arms into the air. "So, what're we doing today? Do we need to use a magical stick to decide?"

Uzume looked at Neptune suspiciously. "Uhhh… no. I think that Renna has a particular place in mind…"

"What do you mean? Oh, right, that place from yesterday…", realized Renna.

Gil perked up at this. "What's this now?"

"Nothing special. I saw this place called "Vida Dimension" on a notice and I wanted to explore it."

"Any particular reason why?"

"Just got a feeling, is all."

"Okay."

"I'm fine with that! We can go to this place whenever you want!", spoke Neptune.

"Well, if we've got nothing better to do, we can go right now. Is that alright with everyone?", asked Uzume.

"Yessy!"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"Cool! Let's get going, then!"

* * *

**Vida Dimension dungeon, around an hour later:**

"Woah, this place looks AMAZING!", stated Renna.

"It's definitely unique. I'm not sure we've been in a place like this before.", said Gil.

The dungeon was massive on the interior. They couldn't see to the opposite ends of the dungeon, and it seemed like the platforms comprising the walking space were floating in space. There were many long tubes stretching across the space, and they seemed to never end. The space around them was filled with floating data and code. It was as if they were inside a game or a computer. The space was all purple, with the pieces of data being white, violet or blue.

The actual dungeon was a large platform. It was primarily blue, but there were lines of every colour running along the floor, like a circuit. There were circular archways present at every long walkway. The dungeon gradually elevated itself, but there were no stairs present. They'd have to jump.

The place was beyond comparison. It was as if energy was constantly running along the floor. "Yup. Seen a few places like this myself, but it's always a wonder to witness.", said Uzume.

"Same! Great for grinding some levels, I think!", added Neptune. They all gazed about for some time, admiring the scenery.

"What's the objective?", asked Gil, after a few seconds. He saw that Renna was still gazing out, as if entranced. "Renna?"

"Ahh, yeah! Sorry! What was the question again?"

"What is the objective?"

"Right. We're supposed to clear out some monsters in this dungeon. We can do that as we travel deeper into it."

"Threat level?"

"The monsters shouldn't be a huge threat, but we should move quickly. I really want to explore this place." Gil eyed her for a bit. Why was she so adamant about this?

Uzume walked forward, stretching her neck and shoulders. "Alright, let's show these monsters who's in charge!" They all readied their weapons and charged forward. They encountered all sorts of monsters, from red plants, to boxbirds, to butterfly-people and autonomous artillery. But they were no match for this group of adventurers.

Renna was too fast for them, and could easily jump between the monsters, kicking and slicing all the while. She swapped between using her dual blades and twinblade once in a while. Gil would rush through a group, and was proficient at swapping between using his greatsword, his spear, and his magic. He switched midfight and swiftly cleared his path.

Neptune was adept at confusing the enemies, and could easily catch them off guard. She would surprise some with her pistol, stunning them, and rushed to them with her swords. She simply sliced at the rest of them. Uzume would use her megaphone on groups of them, defeating them instantly. When she felt like it, she would single a few out and beat them with her fists, sometimes coating them with energy-drills.

In little over twenty minutes they reached the very end of the dungeon. They had already used the teleporter and were at the final platform. Neptune unsummoned her swords. "Great workout, you guys! Really keeps you loose and limber!"

"Kinda wish there was more, actually…", stated Uzume.

Gil observed them and then shifted his attention to Renna. She was gazing at something. "Renna?"

"Yeah, Gil?"

"What're you looking at?"

She pointed towards a place in the opposite corner of the platform. There was a small, white light floating above the ground. "There."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure. I feel like that's why I wanted to come here, though."

Neptune and Uzume went next to Renna and followed her stare. "Wowee… What's that?", asked Neptune.

"I dunno. Rensy?"

Renna continued to stare at it. "I'm going to find out. You all stay here."

"Are ya sure?", asked Neptune.

"We can come with you if you want.", offered Uzume.

"I'll be fine. I'm sure it won't be anything dangerous." She started walking towards the small light.

Gil followed her from a few steps away. "Please be careful, Renna."

"I know, don't worry." She turned to face Gil and smiled at him. "I'll be fine!" In a few steps, she was right in front of the light. "I'm… I'm going to touch it."

Neptune gave a thumbs up. "Okay!"

"Sure.", said Uzume.

Gil looked at her warily. "Be careful."

She reached out her hand and made contact with the light, causing it to get bigger. It quickly grew in size and was incredibly bright. Everyone had to cover their eyes. In the next instant, it vanished, with no remnant to indicate that it had been there.

Renna was left with nothing in her hands and a disappointed feeling. "Was that really it?", she said, turning around. Gil sighed in relief, and both Neptune and Uzume also looked disappointed. Renna pouted. "I guess it was no…thing…" She suddenly felt weak at her knees and started to fall over. Gil spotted this and quickly caught her as she fell. Her whole body felt limp.

"Renna! Renna!", shouted Gil.

The other two rushed to Renna.

"Renny!"

"Rensy!"

Renna could hear them, but it was becoming more and more muffled.

"Renna! Renna!"

"Renny! Renny, speak to me!"

"Rensy, please, Rensy!"

"Ren-"

It was getting so bright. Her vision was becoming white and she could not hear them anymore. She could see them calling out to her, but could make out what they were saying. In a few seconds, everything was white. It was nothingness. She could not feel, see, hear, taste, or smell anything. And then everything instantly shifted to black.

"Renna!"

* * *

**?:**

What was this? Where was this? What was this place? Why was it so dark? It was a shifting darkness, as if things were moving around. What was happening?

"Girl." She heard a voice, however distorted it was. It was a female voice. "Girl, come here."

The darkness shifted colour and formed a scene in front of her. It was like a piece of colour floating through space. There was a little girl there. She was very young and had long brown hair. Both of her eyes were grey.

"Girl, come here." The voice was slowly becoming less distorted.

The girl walked forward, with the patch of colour she was previously standing on disappearing. She walked forward a few steps, and stopped. A figure appeared in front of her, but it was covered in the shifting darkness. The little girl did not look happy. She looked wary and sad.

"Do you know why you're here, girl?"

The girl shook her head from side to side. "No…"

The figure still stood in front of the little girl. "You will soon know why. Are you scared?"

The girl nodded her head. "Y-Yes…"

The darkness shrouding the figure was slowing down ever so slowly. The scene disappeared, and it felt as if Renna was floating. Her own body, which was previously shrouded, became visible. The darkness around her was still present, though.

Renna felt the urge to stretch her legs out. She did, and she somehow came into contact with solid ground. It didn't look like any sort of solid footing, or any sort of material at all. She was standing on shifting space.

She found that she could walk forward. First she walked slowly, but eventually she moved into a comfortable pace. The little girl from before was appearing along the path. Every now and then, she would appear in front of Renna and to her side. But never more than one image at a time. Renna stopped walking. The little girl was looking at her.

She had on a simple, long dress. It was blue in colour, with grey at the hips. She wore standard blue shoes with long white socks. They were staring at each other. Renna knew who this girl was. She knew who she was from the instant she spotted her the first time, and greeted her.

"Hello, Renna." The little girl kept looking at her. She smiled at Renna and gave her a small wave. "Where are we going?" The little girl beckoned Renna over and ran off into the darkness. She soon disappeared. Renna started running forward.

It felt like a few minutes, with the girl appearing every now and then. Where was Renna going? She was moving forward, she knew that, but for what purpose? She knew how she had gotten here, but how would she get out of this place, whatever it was? Renna kept running and eventually spoke out loud. "Show me."

She kept running forward. In a few seconds, Renna could no longer feel her feet pushing off of matter. She was floating again. The same scene from before appeared in front of her.

"You're really scared, are you?"

The little girl nodded her head. "Y-Yes…"

A sigh could be heard. The figure moved their right arm onto the top of the girls head and gently moved it about. It was a friendly gesture. "You don't have to be scared." The voice was not distorted at all at this point. "You know why?" The girl looked up at the figure. "Because you are important to me. You are special to me."

The figure bent down and their arms were placed under the little girls arms. They lifted the little girl up and in front of the figure. "I will make you special."

The darkness shrouding the figure started to disappear. It was only these two people in this darkness. No other object was visible. The figure was now completely visible. A figure with cyan eyes, and cyan hair.

Rei Ryghts.

She smiled at the girl. "You can be sure of that."

Renna suddenly fell down through the darkness. She wasn't spinning, but it was still disorienting. The scene was disappearing. She was surrounded by complete blackness, by the absence of everything and anything.

"My special girl."

* * *

**Hotel room, Lastation:**

Renna gasped as she woke up. She felt a soft bed beneath her as she looked up at a grey ceiling. She didn't move for a while and simply stared upwards. She shifted her head to her left and spotted Uzume and Neptune on the opposite bed. They were sitting there, not really doing anything. She shifted her head to the right and caught sight of Gil. He was sitting on a chair at the corner of her bed. He also wasn't really doing anything besides looking down.

She kept her eyes on him.

Eventually his gaze moved from the floor to meet Renna's. It shifted back down, but instantly shifted back up in a double take. "Renna!", spoke Gil, quickly rising to his feet.

Neptune and Uzume looked at Gil, and then at Renna. She sat up on the bed while rubbing her eyes.

"Renny!"

"Rensy!"

They all darted to the side of her bed. Uzume stayed at the side of the bed while Neptune climbed onto it. Both girls gave Renna a hug. "H-Hey, you two… It wasn't that serious, was it?"

"You had us worried back there, Rensy!"

"You just collapsed out of nowhere! It was lucky that Gil was there to catch you."

Renna, still in her embrace, looked at Gil with warm eyes. He nodded in response and gave a small smile. The three girls separated and listened to Renna. "How… long has it been?"

"It's been close to an hour, more or less.", answered Uzume.

"An hour?! Geez... D-Did you guys carry me here?"

"Nope!", said Neptune. "I used my little dimension thingy in my Nepnote to transport us here!"

"Oh, right… you can do that."

"Super convenient when I wanna use it!"

"Well… thanks for that. What happened… after I passed out?"

"You went completely limp.", answered Gil quickly. "Other than that, your body was fine."

"Oh… thanks."

"What happened while you were out?", asked Uzume.

Renna thought about what to say for a few seconds. "It… It was very black. It was like I was floating… somewhere."

"Like up in space?"

"Yeah, like that. Except it was completely black and it felt like it was always moving… I don't know, it was weird."

"Sounds weird.", stated Neptune. "But, you're back in the land of the living, so everything's grade A!"

"I guess…"

"Mmhmm."

Uzume leaned on the bed. "You're not feeling weak at all, are you?"

Renna raised her arms up and looked at the both of them. She jumped off of the end of the bed, onto her feet. "Nope! I feel fine."

Gil sighed. "That's good to hear." Neptune and Uzume stood up besides the bed. "We done for today?", asked Gil.

"Just about. Nothing else on our agenda, I don't think.", answered Uzume.

"…Besides some socializing time! Bonding, and other important things!", spoke Neptune.

Renna smiled to herself. "Yeah. That'd be nice."

Uzume elbowed Neptune on her arm. "Nepsy, how about you get lunch ready for once?"

"You say that like I don't do it at all!"

"Well… it's not far from the truth."

"Heeey!"

Renna kept smiling a them. "Hey… you two?"

"Hmm?"

"What's up?"

"Do you mind if I talk to my brother for a bit? Just wanna find out a few more details of when I blacked out."

"Okee-dokee!"

"Yeah, sure."

"Guess you're helping me with food, aren't 'cha?"

Uzume rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah…"

Neptune and Uzume promptly left the room, leaving Renna and Gil alone. Gil spoke first. "I already told you about everything that-"

"This isn't about that. I just had to talk to you privately. It's about when I blacked out."

Gil narrowed his eyes. "So there's more to it?"

"Yeah."

Renna sat down cross legged on the bed. Gil sat back on his chair next to Renna. "Tell me."

"Okay…" She started her explanation. "So the part about me being in shifting space was true. I couldn't see or feel anything. But there was more to it. I eventually did see things. They would appear out of nowhere, and appear in patches. The first thing I saw was a little girl. She had brown hair and grey eyes."

Gil's eyes widened for a split second. "You mean…"

"Yeah. It was me from before."

"So it has to do with back then."

"Yes. There was also a figure there, but she was clouded in darkness."

"She?"

"You already know who."

"Great."

"But yeah. It brought up a very old memory. It's not that I completely forgot about it, it's that… I don't know, it seems more important now."

"Which memory?"

"It was when Rei first met me face to face. She asked me a couple of normal questions, like how I was feeling. She said I shouldn't feel scared. She said that I was important to her, and that I was special. She said she would make me special. I know that it has to do with our… conversion, into CPUs, but I can't shake the feeling that there's something more."

"What do you mean?"

"I… I'm not sure. I just know that it means so much more than us becoming CPUs."

"Okay… anything else?"

Renna pondered for a bit. "Yeah. At some point, everything disappeared and my body became visible. I could even walk through the darkness as if it was solid ground. I walked forward, and the little girl appeared in front of me. I said hello, and she waved at me."

"Then?"

"Then I asked her where we were going and she ran off. She wanted me to follow her. She disappeared, but I ran forward. She would appear out of the blue in front of me and beside me. I still kept running. At one point, I called out to the darkness. I asked it to show me what I was there for, or something like that. In a few seconds, the scene reappeared, and I was the observer."

"So it… listened to you?"

"I dunno. Maybe. That's when Rei picked up the little girl. She was acting friendly to her, smiling at her. She even rubbed her head before picking her up. She called the little girl her "Special girl". And… yeah. That disappeared, and I came to."

Gil had a hand to the left side of his neck and was rubbing it slowly. "All because of that white light?"

"Pretty sure, yeah."

"Then we should look out for them. There has to be something more to this."

"Yeah. We should keep this between us for now. Maybe tell them later."

"Okay."

"I'll tell you if I ever get that feeling again."

"If there's more."

"Mmm. I'm sure that there are." Renna's eyes lowered down to the bed. "…I'm sure." She looked back up and leapt off the bed. "We should join up with Neptune and Uzume. Don't want to be too suspicious."

"Okay." They left the room, with Renna going first.

Neptune spotted them as they left the bedroom. "So? Is everything in tip top shape?"

"Yup, everything's fine! Nothing out of the ordinary!", exclaimed Renna, holding her arms to her side.

"So you just passed out from that light?", asked Uzume.

"Uh-huh."

"And nothing else happened?"

"It seems that way, yeah."

"That's… odd."

"There has to be something more to it! Something like that doesn't just happen for no reason, especially in stories like these!", spoke Neptune.

"Umm… I'm not following you.", said Renna, confused. Gil was also feeling the same way.

"Get used to it.", said Uzume, flatly.

"I'm saying that it has to have a bigger meaning! I just gotta gut feeling that it's something much bigger than simply passing out. And NO, it's not me being hungry!" Renna and Uzume gave a small giggle, and Gil gave a small smile. "I'm being serious. Yeah, I know, ME of all people, being SERIOUS?! Surprising. So please, Renna…"

Renna looked at her inquisitively. "Y-Yeah?"

"Please, tell us if it's something serious, alright? You don't need to hide anything from us. We'll always be here to help you."

There was a bigger meaning behind these words, and Neptune hoped that it would get through. Uzume caught on and also looked at Renna. Renna looked to Neptune and then shifted her eyes at Gil. Gil turned his head to meet her eyes. He blinked, slightly nodding his head.

Renna looked at Neptune and brandished a very happy face. "Mmm! I'll be sure to tell you! Promise!"

* * *

**How's that for ya?**

**Got you guys intrigued, hey? I certainly hope so! ****The future is interesting, I tell you! I just hope that I write it down well. ****And I hope you all think it's good, too! Come on, tell me what you think. ****Reviews, opinions, advice, or any sort of thing that you come up with that brain of yours is great to read! Seriously!**

**I really hope I got that part with Uzume and Gil right. Like when she showed Gil her unique side, ya know? Hope it's good and entertaining! ****And the part with Renna's little… "dream". Seeing as that's kinda an important part of this chapter. **

**And the entire thing, basically!**

…**don't be afraid to tell me if it was alright…**

**So yeah. **

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I really hope you're enjoying the story in its entirety! ****I hope you'll continue reading it, and hopefully be excited to do so!**

**That's about it from me.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	15. The Bond of Friendship

**Hellooooo again everybody! **

**This chapter longer than usual. I hope that's something to look forward to! ****I've also added something a little "special" in the latter half. You'll know it when you see it.**

**I hope you all like this chapter!**

**So yeah.**

**Please enjoy the read!**

* * *

**Chapter 14:**

It had been a day since Renna's collapse. The group had spent the rest of their time at their hotel room relaxing in each other's company. They spoke with each other, ate dinner with each other, and eventually went to bed. It was currently morning, so the group was still fast asleep. Well, mostly…

Gil was up. He wasn't moving around and he sat on his bed with his legs hanging over the sides, and his arms resting on his knees. He was thinking. What was the plan of action? From yesterday's little "trip", it seemed like both his sister and himself had a new plan. Find the lights.

He had already given this some thought. They would travel across the nations in search of these lights, whatever they may be. He and his sister had already decided that the lights were somehow related to them. Or, at least, to Renna…

Everything seemed to involve her…

"What's wrong, Gilly?", came a quiet voice. Gil raised his head, disturbed by the sudden sound. He looked around at the origin. Neptune was looking at him, and she was still in her bed, her body only partially covered by the blanket. Her entire upper half being visible. "You're sitting there looking all down. Is everything alright?"

Gil looked at her for a second and blinked slowly. "Yes. Everything's fine. You can go back to sleep. It's still early."

Neptune propped her upper half up with her arms. "Don't wanna. I'm already up, so there's no use to it!", she said, in an attempt to sound fully awake.

Gil gave her a brief, small smile, and then stood up. "I'm perfectly fine, Neptune. Your concern isn't necessary. But it is appreciated."

"That's enough for meeeee!", said Neptune, stretching.

Gil narrowed his eyes. This girl really was strange. He walked to the doorway and turned to face Neptune. "I'm going out to do a few quests…"

"Ah, I'll join y-"

"…And I need you to stay here."

Neptune pouted and crossed her arms. "Awww, whyyyy?"

"Nothing complicated." , said Gil, leaning against the doorframe. "I need you to tell those two where I've gone off to. Don't want them worried that two of their group suddenly disappeared."

"I guess you have a point… Can't you just wake them up and tell them?"

"They need to rest. Same goes for you."

"You can't do everything yourself, you know?"

"I know. But you all need to rest up and get prepared."

"I'll be fine! You can leave a note for them to read!"

"And why are you so adamant about coming with me?", asked Gil, crossing his arms.

Neptune rubbed her eyes with her hands, wiping away the sleep. "Why can't I be?"

Gil sighed at this simple answer. He should've expected something like this… "I'm not saying you can't. Just not this time, alright? I really need you all to rest."

"And you're suuuuuuuure that it's only because of that?"

"Do you have any reason to believe otherwise?"

"Hmmmm… maybe…" Gil gave a small huff, and stood up from his leaning position. "I find ya interestin', okay?", said Neptune.

Gil looked at her with a confused face. "I'm not following."

"I think that you and your sister are interesting peeps, so I'm kinda making an effort to stick by you guys. Ya know, be all sociable and stuff? Like friends do?" Gil didn't respond immediately, something that Neptune capitalized on. "Or… do you have an issue with that?"

Gil stood silent for some time. "I don't think I have an issue, no. I just think-"

"That I need to rest, yeah, I got it. Fine, fine, I'll comply… for now."

"Thank you."

There was silence for a brief moment. "So, Neptune, when they wake up, tell them that I'm doing quests."

"I was already gonna do that!"

"Also tell them that our next destination is Lowee."

"Hmmm… Lowee?"

"Yes."

Neptune stood up and raised a hand to her chin, contemplatively. "…And have you asked us?" It wasn't threatening or aggressive. It was a sort of friendly reminder.

Gil widened his eyes and brought his right hand to his neck, exposing it slightly. Neptune spotted a scar there, but didn't ask about it. She was curious, though, as it looked peculiar. Nothing like what a monster would cause… Maybe another time. "You're pretty gun-ho 'bout decision making, methinks."

"…Sorry."

"But I don't mind going to Lowee next! So yeah, I'm up for it."

"…Thank you." Gil nodded at Neptune. "I'll be going now. See you later."

Neptune waved Gil off. "Righty! Have fun and stuff!"

"…I'll try." And with that, Gil was gone.

Neptune waited in the bedroom, listening. She heard Gil walking, and then she heard a door closing. Detective Nep sprung into action. She ran over to Uzume and gave her a little push. "…Hey, what the-?" Before Uzume could continue, Neptune was already by Renna, pushing her as well. "…W…What's happening?"

"Gil's gone on a little questing and asked me to tell you two!"

They both rose up and were sitting on their beds. "Couldn't you have told us when we woke up by ourselves?", asked Uzume, a little irritated.

"Nope! I'm-a gonna follow him!"

Uzume and Renna weren't that surprised. "You're always so nosy…", said Uzume, propping her chin up with her left hand.

"Teheheee~… such is the way of the Nep!"

Uzume stood up next to her bed. "I know that all too well."

While Neptune and Uzume were talking away, Renna was eyeing Neptune suspiciously. "Did he say where he was going?", she asked, as she stood up and stretched.

"Nope! Which is why I gotta leave pronto! See ya guys!" Neptune ran out of the room in a rush before promptly backpedalling. "Before I go, is it alright if we go to Lowee next?" Renna and Uzume looked at each other.

Renna shook her head. "I don't mind."

"It's cool with me.", answered Uzume. "How about we meet you guys at that clothing shop we were at a few days ago before we leave? Got something I need to sort out first…"

"Is it about how you stayed behind for a few before leaving?", asked Renna.

"…Something like that, yeah."

"Okay! Be sure to pack everything up before leaving! Don't wanna leave any essentials behind!", said Neptune. With a wave of her hand and another farewell, Neptune darted out, closing the door to the hotel room in a rush.

Uzume rubbed the back of her head. "Sometimes I wonder about that girl…" She then looked to Renna. Renna was staring at the doorway at exactly where Neptune had just stood.

And her eyes…

"Yo, Rensy, you okay?"

"…Hmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry 'bout that, spaced out with my thoughts." Renna waved her hands at Uzume.

"…Alright." Uzume clapped her hands out in front of her and behind her. "Guess we should get everything together, huh?"

"Yup. Then head off to that shop. Are you fetching something, or…?"

"It's a secret."

"Figured."

They both left the room and walked to the kitchen. Since they had most items in Uzume's pocket-service, there wasn't a lot to gather. They made short work of it. Uzume, once again, spotted Renna staring out at space. "What're you thinking about now, Rensy?"

Renna looked at Uzume with a worried expression. "…Did either of them even have breakfast?"

Uzume's face froze and changed to a worried smile. "I…I don't think they did." They both facepalmed. "Well there's no helping them now. Time to get going."

"Mmmhmm."

They walked to the doorway leading out of the room and looked inside for one last time. "Got everything?", asked Renna.

"Yeah." Uzume closed the door and locked it.

"Still remember how to get there?"

"Uh-huh. It shouldn't take us too long. I just hope that THEY don't take long, either."

"Yeah… I hope so too…"

* * *

**Lastation Basilicom, Ultradimension:**

Noire was sitting at her office minding her own business. She was completing some paperwork as usual. Even though she worked at completing all of her work yesterday, there was always more to do the following day. She didn't mind it, as it kept her busy. Today was special, though. She had something to do with someone. She kept taking quick glances at her N-Gear that Nepgear had given to her and the other Goddesses days ago, as if anticipating that something would happen. And she suddenly received a call.

It showed up on the screen, and Noire instantly dropped everything, reaching for the device. She held the device in both hands, looking at the screen. The person calling her was… herself. From the Hyperdimension. Taking a deep breath in, and a deep breath out, she answered. "H-Hello?"

"H-Hey… U-Uhhh, this is, ummm, just to… ask if you're ready?"

"Yes! I-I mean, y-yeah, I'm ready. You don't have any sudden plans coming up or… whatever?"

"No, I made sure to complete what work I had last night…"

"Same…"

They both smiled gently to themselves, since nobody could see them. "S-So… where do you want to meet?", asked Hyperdimension Noire.

"We can meet at the portal… I'll wait by it."

"Are you sure? You don't have to fly all the way out to Planeptune…"

"It's fine, really."

"If you insist."

"Yeah…"

They both stayed quiet for a second before Hyperdimension Noire spoke again. "Do… Do you have any place in mind?"

"Yeah. I do. I can direct you there, when we meet…"

"Okay… And you're sure that nobody from your dimension knows?"

"No, nobody has a clue. I'd be more worried about your side, since you have Neptune over there."

Hyperdimension Noire gave an amused huff. "Yeah, that's true. Nobody knows on my side either, so we're… safe?"

"I guess…"

"S-So I guess that means I should leave now… to meet you…"

"Yeah…"

"I… I look forward to it!"

"Y-Yeah… I do too!"

"It'll be fun!"

"So much fun!"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah!"

They both let out girly giggles, and continued. "I'll meet you there in a bit. See you then!"

"I'll be waiting. Bye!"

And the call was cut, leaving Ultradimension Noire alone in her office. She could literally explode from the excitement housed in her body. "Finally… Finally!", she said, jumping up from her desk in a show of happiness. She turned to leave her office, walking at a quick pace.

"I'd better get going… Don't want to keep her waiting for me!" She eventually made her way out of the Basilicom, transformed, and flew off towards Planeptune.

* * *

**Under an hour later:**

Neptune had sneakily snuck her way through the city, away from the eyes of her target. She was following him from a short distance away and made sure to hide behind any buildings, lampposts or any large objects along the way. Sure, she got some weird stares, but she didn't mind. Gil had walked over to the Guild board that they had used the previous day. He stood there for a while, reading each notice. He must've seen one that he fancied and he took the request. As luck would have it, he started walking Neptune's way.

"Ah, Neppit!", thought Neptune, peeking out from behind the side of a building. She retracted herself behind her cover. Luckily, there was a particularly dark alleyway that Neptune could hide in. She blended in with the dark and she thanked herself that she had no neon lights on her clothes. That'd be weird if she did, huh? She'd be like a pimped-out car or something. The Nep-car! No… The Nep-mobile! Perfect!

While Neptune thought these very important thoughts, she spotted Gil walking past. She wasn't close to him in proximity, but she held her breath nonetheless. He stopped midway and turned his head to the right. Neptune could've sworn that Gil was looking directly at her. His eyes were gazing around the alleyway, surveying it. After a few seconds, he turned his head back and kept walking.

"Whew…" Neptune walked out from the darkness and out of the alleyway. She could still see Gil walking. "Mission is a go!" She scurried off towards him, following him outside of the city. They walked past a forest, so it was easy for Neptune to remain covered. Neptune observed the way he walked. As a part of her detective-ing duty, obviously.

He didn't slouch himself while he walked. He had an upright posture and walked in a methodical way. He looked around himself sometimes, observing any birds that flew overhead, or darting his head towards any sudden sounds. Whenever he looked towards said sounds, his eyebrows always furrowed at first, but they relaxed after realizing that it was nothing dangerous. He always seemed to have an ever so slightly angry face on. It was stoic and didn't give a lot away.

Neptune thought that there had to be more to him than this exterior of his…

She pressed on forward, and they arrived at a dungeon.

* * *

**Soni Wetlands:**

Neptune waited a few seconds before entering, letting Gil have a head start. "One Mississippi… Two Mississippi… What even is a "Mississippi"?" She entered and was greeted by a massive underground lake.

Neptune was standing on a metallic platform that extended forward and then split off to the left and right. From what she knew, the split off segments would turn again, reaching out further into the dungeon. They would turn and rejoin, forming a square. From the rejoined piece, one pathway would shoot out into the middle of the square. It would form a circular floating platform in the center of the dungeon, and Neptune guessed that that was the end of the dungeon.

The platforms were grey in colour with black railings. At each corner where the pathways would turn, there was a circular platform similar to the center platform. The pathways all had a slight incline to them. There was no other platform in sight. The rest of the dungeon was comprised of the lake, although there were gargantuan trees reaching up into the top of the cave. Maybe they even reached above the cave? The water was mostly clear, although there was a mist that covered the lake as it reached further out. Eventually, you couldn't see anything due to the mist. It was mysterious and almost eerie. But it had its own beauty.

Neptune was still on the starting platform, and she could see Gil walking on the left pathway. Luckily for her, the railings were large enough for her to hide behind without being spotted. She chased after Gil.

Gil walked forward without a weapon in hand and he was almost to the first corner. There was a group of three mushroom-like creatures there. They had oblivious faces on and their heads swung from side to side constantly. Gil walked towards them and summoned his greatsword into his right hand. He reached out with his left hand, making his palm face them. The creatures faced him and waddled towards him.

Gil spun his hand around so that his palm was facing skywards and clenched his fist while bending his arm. A pillar of fire erupted below the middle mushroom, setting it ablaze. The other two creatures didn't seem to care. Gil then nonchalantly placed his greatsword over his shoulder and walked over to the advancing duo. His brows suddenly furrowed as he sent his weapon crashing down onto the right mushroom, severing it down its middle.

Gil then spun around to his right while holding his sword out. During his complete rotation, the sword effortlessly cut the remaining creature in two. That group being finished, Gil willed his weapon away and continued walking down the path. Neptune knew that these enemies weren't super high level boss monsters, but she acknowledged that he had to be pretty skillful to deal with a group of enemies in a quick manner. Then again, she already thought this before.

They had arrived at the second corner and Gil already had his spear in hand. There was a group of two dragon-like creatures which were semi-humanoid, and they each held a shield and an axe. They floated above the ground and were covered in armour.

Gil lifted up his spear, directing its tip at the closest enemy. A small white light appeared at the tip and quickly enlarged. A beam of light shot out of it, piercing straight through the enemy's head. Gil dashed to it and speared into its abdomen from the front. The other enemy started advancing at Gil. Gil, enveloped by the crystals from his fallen foe, held his spear to his side, letting the creature swipe at him. Gil jumped back to dodge the attack and threw his spear at the enemy. It pierced its upper abdomen.

Gil ran straight to it while it was writhing in pain. He jumped up to meet the dragon and forced his spear further inside. The creature collapsed to the ground and disappeared in a cloud of crystals. Similar to before, Gil's weapon disappeared. Neptune clapped quietly to herself, imitating a posh royal who had just tasted a fine wine.

Gil advanced further, turning to face the center platform and preemptively summoning his greatsword into his hand. Neptune took her position and had a clear view of Gil from behind. The next group of enemies comprised of three dogoos. These ones had tentacles underneath them, and they floated above the ground. Neptune edged her way forward and found her next hiding spot. There was a small offshoot on either side of the pathway, acting as a sort of lookout. She ducked down behind it and observed. Gil made his weapon disappear and let the dogoos get closer. Why wasn't he doing anything?

One of the dogoos lashed out at him, sending a tentacle rushing towards Gil's head. Gil reacted by moving his head to the left, and he caught the tentacle with his left hand. He pulled the dogoo in and grabbed its… face-abdomen-thingy with his right hand. Neptune wondered what the anatomy of a dogoo was even made up of. She didn't have time to finish her thinking.

Gil spun around as he took a hold of the creature and forced the dogoo straight into the ground, making goo splat across the floor and on himself. Neptune had a clear view of his face. He looked tense. His grip still around the dogoo, he forced it into the ground twice more, causing even more goo to fly. A small portion even landed next to Neptune. He had a smudge of it across his face.

The two other dogoos were next to him. He spun around and grabbed the nearest one, holding onto its ears and set them alight. He threw the doggo to the ground and stomped on it twice. All that was left was a smudge of blue. The last one had already sent out a tentacle at Gil. He grabbed the tentacle and pulled the creature in. Still holding onto the dogoo, he spun it around above his head. It reminded Neptune of a ball and chain.

He stopped spinning it and slammed the creature down in front of him. He pulled back, and repeated the process. And repeated it again. He let go of the tentacle and walked up to the dogoo, looking down at the pitiful thing. He brought his right foot back and kicked the creature so hard that it completely exploded against the railing. It made contact with the part of the railing nearest to Neptune, so a bit of it flew onto Neptune's face.

Neptune thought to herself. "He's kinda brutal, ain't he?"

Returning to his normal face, Gil looked up. The sun shone through a small gap in the cave ceiling, projecting a glow across the lake. He stood like that for a while. Neptune took this opportunity to escape. She ran down the pathways and was eventually outside the dungeon. "What to do, what to do…" She had to leave before Gil found out that she was tailing him. How would she make it believable? Maybe she'd meet up with Uzume and Renna? They should be at that clothing shop by now. Or perhaps… she would wait for Gil at the Guild? He had to turn in his requests, so she could say that she decided to wait for him while the other two visited the store?

Hmmmm…

Neptune put her right hand into a ball and brought it down onto her other hand's outstretched palm. "It's decided!" She ran off at a brisk pace. "A little bit-a both!"

* * *

**At the clothing shop from the day before:**

"Uzume, Uzume! How nice does this look?" Renna held up a pair of shoes to Uzume. They were similar to her current ones, except they were primarily dark blue with the laces, soles and inlays being black.

"Pretty stylish. You should get an outfit that matches."

Renna looked down at her clothes. "Yeah, you're right." Maybe if she swapped the colour scheme on her shirt… Mainly black, with a blue crescent moon? How convenient would that be? "…I wish there was a shirt that looked like mine but with the colours swapped… it'd fit the shoes colours…"

Uzume looked up slightly and placed a hand by her chin. "Yeah, that would be super convenient."

"I wouldn't need to change my skirt at all! It's pretty much just the shirt!"

"Y-Yeah… that's true…"

"And like, like, it would still fit me! Ya know, with my hair and stuff."

"Mmmm… it would look pretty cool…"

"Exactly, exactly! You haven't seen anything like this, have you? Oh, please let it be…"

"N-No, sorry Rensy…"

"Awwww… that's a shame…" Renna looked down at the floor, but quickly looked back up with a happy face. "Guess it wasn't meant to be!"

Uzume nodded at her. She then rubbed the back of her head, looking away from Renna. "Ya know, Rensy… M-Maybe you'd like something else… Something d-different?", asked Uzume, brandishing an awkward face.

Renna looked at her with a slightly curious face. "What do you have in mind?"

"You know… Something more my style…"

"Oh?"

"Like an accessory or something? Ahh, forget it…"

"Nah, Uzume, I'd love that! Come on, don't bring it up and not follow through! Show me!"

"O-Okay…"

* * *

**Outside the clothing shop:**

Neptune was still running to the clothes store. She had to be quick, or else she wouldn't be able to return back to the Guild in time…

"Ummm… this way? I think so… There it is!" Neptune spotted the shop and continued to move towards it. "Wait, wait, wait, wait…" Neptune looked towards the shop and saw two familiar looking girls standing there, gazing through the windows. "I recognize one of them… but the other one looks pretty much the same… so I recognize both of them, technically?"

She ran towards the two girls and stood behind the one she had met before. She tapped her on her shoulder. "Noire, right?"

The girl spun around and backed up to the window in surprise. "Wha?!" The other girl also spun around to view Neptune, who was observing her intently.

"Wooow, you're like, the same person…", said Neptune, with a hand to her chin. "Guess that whole doppleganger thing is true…"

"W-What's going on?!"

Neptune observed both of these girls that were pressed up against the window. The Noire that Neptune knew pointed at her. "O-Oh, it's you! Geez, don't scare me like that…"

"Oooooh, I'm so glad you remember me! How's you doin'?"

Noire stared at Neptune with half-lidded eyes and then turned to her companion. "Yeah, it's a little confusing. This Neptune is the one from this dimension. And she's also not a CPU. Which is also why she's a little more grown up."

The other Noire looked towards Neptune. "Maybe in looks! She still seems so… Neptune."

Neptune stood there with her arms behind her back and was smiling at the both of them. "So does that mean that this girl… is the other you?"

"We're not the same person, you know?", said the Noire that Neptune didn't know.

Neptune held her right hand out. "Well it's nice to meetcha, other Noire!"

"I'd prefer you not call me that.", said Ultradimension Noire, as she shook Neptune's hand. "This is so weird… I thought that you must've existed at some point, but to actually see you…"

Neptune posed, holding out a peace sign. "I know, I'm dazzling, right?!" Hyperdimension Noire brought a hand to her face. "So… what're we gonna do with this naming dilemma?", asked Neptune.

"Uhhhh…"

"U-Ummm…"

Neptune stood in deep thought, with the Noires waiting for her to finish. "Ah! Eureka! What's this dimension called?"

"The Ultradimension.", answered Ultradimension Noire

"And the other one's Hyperdimension, right?"

"Yeah.", answered Hyperdimension Noire.

"Then… what about… Noire-U? Noire-U… Nowaru!"

Ultradimension Noire recoiled at this, blinking a few times at Neptune. "D-Don't call me that!"

"Awww, but it's a cute nickname!"

"I don't care!"

Neptune turned to Hyperdimension Noire. "And you… Noire-H…Nah… Noire-Hy? Noire-Hy… Noirey!"

"Please don't…", replied Hyperdimension Noire, in a similar fashion to her counterpart.

"That settles it! Nowaru, and Noirey! It's perfect!"

Both Noires looked at Neptune with half-lidded eyes. "Don't call us that.", they answered simultaneously.

"Boo… But anywho, what're you two doing here?"

They both looked away from Neptune with slightly red cheeks. "We're, ummm…", stuttered Noirey.

"…Just looking at clothes. N-Nothing special at all!", stated Nowaru.

Neptune looked at them suspiciously. "Uh-huh… What kinda clothing?"

"Nothing in particular…", answered Nowaru.

"But then why would Noirey…"

"Don't call me that."

"…Be here? It's gotta be special, since you travelled across space and time to be here? Hmmmmm?"

Noirey waved her arms out in front of her. "I-It's nothing, really! W-Why can't I spend some time with… with my friend?"

Both Nowaru and Neptune looked at her, but Neptune spoke first. "I suppose… not! You're not convincing me! Tell me, tell me! What is it?"

"And why do we have to tell you?!", asked Noirey.

"Y-Yeah! We don't have to!", said Nowaru.

Neptune stopped smiling and looked at them with upturned eyes. "Well… I thought we were all friendly and stuff…", she said, looking down at the ground. Both Noires looked at her with worried faces. "Guess it was just me then…"

They all stood there in silence for a moment. "T-That may have been a bit mean of us to say…", said Nowaru. "…Maybe a tiny bit…" Neptune looked up at them, holding the sad face.

"We're… sorry.", said Noirey, rubbing her right arm with her left hand.

"…Sorry.", said Nowaru, scratching the underside of her chin.

Neptune gazed at them with her puppy-dog eyes. In an instant, she rushed up to them and had her hands around each of their shoulders. "I'm just messin' with you guys!" Both Noires were caught off guard by the sudden contact, and as such, their faces both became red.

"N-Neptune!", exclaimed Noirey.

"D-Don't just do that out of nowhere!", exclaimed Nowaru.

She hugged the both of them for a while longer and let go. She gave them time to recover.

"Geez… You're so embarrassing…", stated Noirey.

"Don't do that in public!", said Nowaru.

"Heheheee… You're both so cute."

A simultaneous "Shut up!" was heard.

"But anyhow… what're you two doing here? I won't judge you guys, honest." The Noires stared at her suspiciously. "Heeeey, come oooon, I'm not suspicious!" Neptune took a stance and placed her right hand on her chest. "Nep's honour! I hereby decree to not do any of the people-judging today, to these two girls named Nowaru and Noirey! Such actions are heretical and will be subjected to a banning of any sweet foods for a day! O-Or less… sweets are nice…."

Both Noires still looked at her suspiciously, but their faces softened a bit. Neptune remained in that stance, like a soldier addressing a higher up. "…And you really won't say anything… mean?", asked Noirey.

"Yup!"

"…And you won't spread this around?", asked Nowaru.

"Yup!"

They both continued to eye her suspiciously, and then sighed to themselves. "Fine… I guess we can tell you…", said Nowaru.

"Yay! So, what is it?"

"It's… cosplay…", answered Noirey, looking away as she finished.

"Cosplay? You mean that thing where you dress up as characters from games or anime and stuff?"

"Y-Yes…", said Nowaru.

"I've heard about it before... Sounds fun!" The Noires looked at Neptune with flabbergasted expressions.

"What?!"

"You mean it?!"

Neptune was taken off guard by the sudden enthusiasm. "U-Uhh… yeah. I mean, I didn't really get to experience things like that in my life since I wasn't really around much, so I… don't really see the issue with it? What's so bad about it?" The Noires' eyes widened in surprised. "It sounds like heaps of fun! Hey, can I join in?"

The Noires were still stunned. "You're serious?", they both asked.

"Mmmhmm!"

"T-Then, um, I don't mind, really…", muttered Noirey.

"Y-Yeah… You can, I guess…", muttered Nowaru.

"Yay! So, that's why you guys were outside?"

"Yes…", answered Nowaru.

"Mmkay. Then what are we waiting for, let's go!", exclaimed Neptune, running to the door. The Noires followed Neptune with happy faces. "…Wait!" Neptune stopped just in front of the door and held her arms out. The Noires almost ran in to her due to the sudden stop.

"W-What's wrong?", asked Noirey.

"Ummm… I can't! And neither can you two!"

"What?! Why?", questioned Nowaru.

Neptune dragged them off to the windows again and looked at them with a slightly more serious face. "Do you two… know what's going on with me? And with Uzume?"

The Noires were surprised by the sudden change in tone. They figured that whatever Neptune was going to say next, it would have to be serious. "Yes, we do. You're travelling with the two half-CPUs from before.", stated Noirey.

"Renna and Gil. You're getting any info you can on them, and… Neptune said something about you trying to convince them?", said Nowaru.

Neptune nodded at them both. "It's much more than that. Look inside." All three of them gazed through the window. Neptune pointed at a place for the Noires to look at. Inside, they spotted Uzume and Renna looking at the different clothing.

"What?! They're here?!", exclaimed Noirey.

"So that's what Uzume looks like… Nevermind that, where's the boy?", asked Nowaru.

"I was just with him! He should be heading towards the Guild!"

Nowaru raised an eyebrow. "So you just… left him?"

"U-Uhhh… Well, he didn't really know that I was following him…"

"Y-You were stalking him?!", questioned Noirey.

"N-Not at all! I was… observing. Yeah. But you should be looking inside! Lookit, lookit!"

The Noires complied, and they observed Uzume and Renna. They had just reached the bottom floor and were walking towards the counter from the stairs. Renna turned around while heading in that direction and had her hands clasped behind her back. She was looking at Uzume while smiling at her. She was saying something to Uzume, and Uzume then brought a hand to the back of her neck, rubbing it. She looked somewhat embarrassed, and had red-tinged cheeks.

Uzume looked up at her and spoke for a bit. She retained her embarrassment throughout. Renna nodded at her and spoke. After that, she offered Uzume a wide smile. Uzume's face started to look relieved, and she no longer looked embarrassed. She smiled widely at Renna while she spoke, and she finished off with a soft pat on Renna's left shoulder. Renna offered Uzume a wide smile and turned around.

In a few seconds, Renna held up a piece of clothing. She looked at it, and then at Uzume. She said something to Uzume, and looked happy while doing so. Uzume's face flashed with embarrassment, but she walked over to Renna nonetheless. Renna turned the clothes around to face Uzume. It comprised of a white shirt that didn't cover the shoulders, and it had blue stars lining the bottom and top of the shirt. She also held out a white, frilly skirt of similar design.

She held it in front of Uzume and it looked like she was trying to line it up with her. She handed it over to Uzume, who was still slightly embarrassed. Uzume held it to herself and then looked at Renna. Renna smiled at her and spoke again. Uzume nodded at her and also smiled. She said something, and she carried the clothes with her while they continued to walk around.

"You see. They're not bad people. They have their own interests and their own personalities outside of what you all know. I've only been with them for a few days, but I can say with confidence that I enjoy having them around.", said Neptune. "That girl is actually really endearing. She enjoys our company so much. As you can see, she's also very friendly. She likes to look at nature and all the pretty things that are in it. She's always up for a friendly little chat, and it's always fun to talk to her. The boy, too. He's very serious and usually looks a little unapproachable. But trust me, he's a good person. He always does good for us. Yes, he's kinda not used to talking to strangers, but he shows a friendlier side once you break through. Sometimes he even smiles at my jokes!"

"What're you trying to say, Neptune?", asked Noirey. "That we shouldn't think of them as enemies?"

"I'm saying that you mustn't think that they're bad people! For now, they are against you, but later…"

"…Later?", said Nowaru.

"…Later, they'll be with you. I promise you that."

The Noires thought on this for a few seconds. "We'll… We'll keep that in mind.", said Noirey.

"Just… Be sure to get them onto our side. Before anything worse happens.", spoke Nowaru.

"Roger-dodger!"

They all stayed silent for a second. "So… what now?", asked Nowaru.

"I think that you two should skidaddle.", suggested Neptune. "We can't have Renna see you guys and myself talking like this. That's a serious no-go!"

"I suppose…", muttered Noirey. "We should… come back later. Once they're done."

"Yeah… Good idea.", complied Nowaru.

"Then I suppose this means goodbye! Have a nice rest of your day, you two! And enjoy your little dress-up party later!"

"It's not a dress-up party!", exclaimed Noirey.

"B-But, yeah… Goodbye, Neptune. Be safe.", said Nowaru.

"Yeah. Goodbye. And be careful!", said Noirey.

"Smell ya later, you two!"

The two Noire's turned around to leave, giving a wave to Neptune as they turned. Neptune giggled to herself. "Heh… And they didn't even notice that the story changed their names…"

As the Noires walked away, they discussed what had just happened. "So, do you think she'll be able to do it?", asked Ultradimension Noire.

"If there's one thing that the Neptune from my world's shown me, it's that when she wants someone to be on her side, she'll get them on her side. One way or another."

"I hope that this Neptune can do the same… She actually did seem a little more mature than the other one."

"I suppose you're right. She was serious when she told us about the girl and boy."

"Maybe it's a good sign."

"Maybe."

"Yeah." They walked on for a few moments.

"But… where should we go next?", asked Hyperdimension Noire.

"I… I know of a nice place that we can grab a bite to eat… I-It's not too far from here, if you want…"

"S-Sure, we can go there. Lead the way." And so, they walked on and continued with their day.

Back at the shop, Neptune had made her way inside. She saw Uzume and Renna at the counter, with Uzume talking to the employee. Neptune started walking towards them as the employee walked away into another room. Renna was leaning against the counter looking out at the shop. She saw Neptune walking towards her and stood up to face her. She also nudged Uzume to inform her.

Neptune waved at them. "Hiya, you guys! Long time no see!"

"Hey Neptune!", waved Renna.

"Yo, Nepsy. Took ya long enough, we've been here for a while.", greeted Uzume.

"I know, I'm sorry about that. Got a little side-tracked part way through, but I'm here and willing! So what's going on?"

"Uzume has something she wants to show me. Dunno what it is, but I know that it has to do with why she stayed behind the other day.", explained Renna. "So yeah. We're waiting for now." Neptune took a quick glance at what Uzume was holding. She was still holding onto those pieces of clothing from earlier. Nice.

"Just… Don't laugh, okay?", asked Uzume.

"Why would I do that?", asked Renna.

"Yeah, Uzume, why would I do that? Hey, hey, why would I?", teased Neptune, nudging her elbow against Uzume.

"Just wait a bit…" The employee from before walked back to the counter and handed Uzume a small packet. Uzume thanked the employee and paid the credits she had to.

"So, Uzume… What's in the box?", asked Neptune, as they turned away from the counter.

"It's-"

"What's in the Neppin' box?!"

"It's nothing special, alright!"

""Nothing special", she says. Ahh, Uzume, you know that to be untrue! You've made some sort of special request, of course it's special!"

"Special request? Like, you got something custom made, Uzume?", asked Renna.

"Y-Yeah… kinda... Remember when I mentioned something more my style, like, an accessory or something?"

"So this is what that was! Show me, show me!"

"I will, I will, just give me a minute…" The group of three walked out of the shop and stopped outside the window. "Okay, okay, I'll show you here… Don't laugh at me, okay?"

"I won't! Promise!", said Renna.

"I probably won't!", said Neptune.

"Okay… Here goes…" Uzume reached into the packet and pulled out a small, black box. She opened it and took out two small accessories. They were identical to the accessories she had in her hair, the ones she used to hold a piece of her hair in place. "So… yeah… I had these made… for you and Gil." She held one out to Renna. Renna took it with her left hand, and held it closer to her face.

She spun it around, inspecting it. "Uzume… thank you so much. What made you want get these made for us?" She looked at Uzume with a wide smile and a joyous expression.

"W-Well… We're a team now, right? Figured that maybe… it'd be cool to… ya know, wear the same accessory or whatever… Something to show that we're all friends now… and to always remind us that we got each other to rely on and talk to… Ahhh, this is so embarrassing."

"No, Uzume, I love it! Thank you so much!", said Renna, hugging Uzume. Uzume was taken aback by this at first, but returned the gesture.

Neptune took a devious expression. "Pfffft, Uzume, you're such a softy!"

"H-Hey! Don't laugh at me! I was being serious!"

"I know, I know, I'm just teasing ya. It's nice to see you go out of your way to do something like this."

"T-Thanks… Whew… I'm glad you guys like it."

"Yeah. But… where's mine?!"

"I-I had one made for you, it's still in the box! I-It's just… I realized afterwards that you already have two accessories in your hair, so I thought that putting another one on would look… out of place."

"Hmmm… You make a good point.", said Neptune.

"Why not put it somewhere else? It doesn't have to be in your hair, right?", suggested Renna.

"You know, that's a great idea, Renny! I'll figure out where to put it when we next settle down!", said Neptune.

"Y…Yay!", said Uzume, raising both arms in the air while speaking with a higher pitch voice. She immediately realized what she did and pulled them back down quickly. "Dammit…"

Renna held the accessory in her hand and looked at it. "I'm… gonna go back inside for something. I need to buy something quick."

"Ooooh, what're ya buyin'?", asked Neptune.

Renna smiled at Neptune. "You'll see later."

"So… what's happening now?", asked Uzume.

Neptune realized her original plan. "Oh, shoot, right! We gotta meet Gil at the Guild! I'm gonna rush ahead while you go inside, Renna! I'll meet him there and tell him that you guy's will be there in a bit!"

"Wait, Neptune-", said Uzume.

"Gotta blast!" Neptune sprinted off into the distance, heading in the direction of the Guild. Uzume sighed. "Guess that means I'm sticking with you again, Rensy." Renna gazed off into the distance. It was in the direction of where Neptune had run off to. "Rensy?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here! Sorry!"

"It's no big deal. But yeah, I'm with you again."

"That's not a bad thing, though."

"Thanks."

"And thanks again for the gift! I'm sure Gil will love it, too!"

The two of them walked up the stairs leading into the clothing store. "Y-Ya think so? I hope he likes it…"

Renna smiled at her. "I did, so he's sure to like it!"

"Y-Yeah. Thanks…"

"Don't mention it!" They both opened the doors once more, and entered.

"I'm sure of it."

* * *

**At the Guild:**

Neptune was sprinting towards the Guild. "I hope I'm in time! It'd be kinda weird to meet him while he's already here, huh?" She entered the Guild and looked around, and she could not find Gil inside. A good sign. "Thank goodness…" She opted to sit around at an available table near the cafeteria. From her seat she had a great view of the register, where adventurers could pick up and hand in requests. There were a few booths, each with an employee stationed behind glass. Security measure, Neptune supposed.

So now… she would have to wait. She looked around the interior. It was fairly in line with the rest of the city. Grey walls, black ceiling. The floor was similar to a chessboard, as it was covered with black and white squares. She looked to the entrance. It was a small archway with silver linings. And through that archway walked Gil. He looked how he usually did, with the same face he usually wore. He no longer had that blue goo across his face, though.

Neptune thought to herself. "Wait, I had some on my face too?! Did I really just walk slash run through the city twice with that on my face?! There's no way…" She brought her hands up to her face, wiping at it. She felt no goo and let out a sigh of relief. "It must've fallen off while I was running." While Neptune thought these thoughts, Gil had walked up to the register. It seemed like he had not noticed her sitting there, so Neptune snuck up behind him. He was the only person in the line, so it wasn't difficult to move towards him.

She poked him in the back with both of her hands. He partially spun around to see the source, and relaxed upon viewing Neptune. "'Sup, Gilly?"

"You like surprising me, it seems."

"Yup! It's fun."

"You've been waiting for me?"

"Yeah. Kept me waitin', huh?"

"You've been waiting for a while?"

"Oh, no, I haven't. I got here recently."

"Then where are Renna and Uzume? Shouldn't they be with you?"

"Well, we were at the clothing shop from before 'cus Uzume had to pick something up. Renna also said that she needs to buy something, so I ran on ahead of them."

"So Uzume stuck with her…"

"Yup!"

Gil handed in the request to the employee and received his reward. He turned back to Neptune, and they walked towards the table that Neptune had been sitting at. They both took their seats opposite one another. "So what did Uzume get?"

"You'll see once they get here!"

"And my sister?"

"She didn't say what she wanted to buy, so I dunno."

"Okay."

"I can't wait for Uzume to show you!"

"Why?"

"Ooooh, it's so surprising! I never thought she'd do something so friendshippy…"

"Is that a good thing?"

"Don't worry, it's one hundred percent good!"

"If you say so."

Neptune leaned her chin on her arms, looking at Gil teasingly. "Hehehe…"

"What?"

"Just thinking about what Uzume's got!"

"Again?"

"Can't get it outta my mind!"

"Great."

"Yeah, it is!"

"So did you do anything at the shop?"

"Uhhh… no…"

"So you didn't get anything?"

"I suppose not."

"Alright."

Neptune looked at the entrance and could see Uzume and Renna walking through. "Look, Gilly, they're here!" She got up from her seat and ran towards her companions. Gil followed her, and they all met near the entrance.

"Hello again, compatriots! We're finally all together again!", greeted Neptune.

Gil nodded at Renna and Uzume. "Hello, you two."

"Hey you guys.", spoke Uzume.

"Hellooooo!", said Renna. "Gil, Gil, how'd your quests go?"

"It was just one. And it went well, don't worry."

"I knew you'd be fine, so I wasn't worrying much."

"Thank you."

"So what'd you have to do?", asked Uzume, as the group started to walk out of the Guild.

"I had to clear a dungeon out. There were only three groups of enemies."

"Oh yeah? And what were they?"

"The first were these three mushroom creatures. The second group had two dragon-like creatures. The third group had three dogoos."

"Eh, so not much, I guess. Still, it's good to do quests! Keeps the body in shape." Gil nodded at Uzume. They were all outside the Guild and were walking along a very long, grey pathway.

Neptune perked up. "So yeah, Gilly, we all agreed that we can go to Lowee! So that's our next stop."

"That is… good to hear."

"Yeah." Neptune had an idea and put on a mischievous face. She slowly turned her head to Uzume, who put on a slightly worried face. Neptune stopped walking, causing everyone else to follow suit. "Hey… Gilly… maybe you should ask Uzume about what she bought, huh?"

Renna perked up at this. "That's right! Uzume, tell him!"

Uzume looked at Neptune and Renna with an awkward face and then closed her eyes. She opened them after a second and looked at Gil. He was looking at her with a slightly confused face.

"So… what did you buy, Uzume?", asked Gil.

"Uhhh…. Yeah, ummm…", started Uzume. "It's… it's nothing much, ya know? Just something small that I thought I'd get for all of us…"

"…Okay."

"Please… don't laugh, okay?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I dunno, I'm just saying it!"

"…Alright."

"Yeah… Here I go…" Uzume summoned the black box into her hand. She opened it and took out one of her replica accessories.

"Is that…?"

"Yeah… I had these made for us… I-I requested it the other day. I'm sure you already guessed that… Ah, man, why is this so hard..?"

Renna held her hands out to Gil. "I got one too!" She had the same accessory Uzume was holding in her hand.

"I got one as well, buuuut I don't know where to place it for now!", stated Neptune.

Gil looked at the three girls in front of him, his eyes resting on Uzume. She seemed quite embarrassed. Uzume, who was looking down at the accessory in her hand, looked up at Gil and held her hand out. "So… yeah. T-This one's for you…" Gil reached out with his hand and took the gift from Uzume. He brought it up and looked at it while inspecting it.

"And I figured you'd need another one of these things.", said Renna. She held her left hand out to Gil. In it was a short, silver chain. Gil reached out and took Renna's gift. He held both items in either hand and didn't say anything.

"Soooo… watcha think?", asked Neptune. She was constantly poking at Uzume, who was pushing away Neptune's hands.

"… I really like it.", said Gil.

Neptune and Uzume stopped their poke-battle and focused on Gil. He had a small smile on his face. He fixed the accessory at one end of the chain, making sure that it was properly attached. He connected the other end to the top-left hand side of his jeans, right next to the other chain with the turquoise crescent moon at the end of it. He looked up at Uzume. "Thank you, Uzume. This means a lot."

Uzume blinked a few times at him, and then brandished a relieved and happy face. "Yeah… Yeah… Don't mention it, Gilsy."

Gil smiled at Uzume and then nodded. "So our next stop is Lowee. What direction is it?"

Neptune pointed in a North-Westerly direction."It should be that-a way!"

"How far away is it?"

"We… should be able to reach it before the sun goes down.", answered Uzume. She still had a small smile on.

"So we should get going, then?", asked Renna, also smiling.

"Yup!"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

"Then onwards! Towards Lowee we go!", exclaimed Renna.

* * *

**A few hours later, Lowee:**

"And we're here! Finally!", spoke Renna.

The group was in the city and looked out at the buildings around them.

"I've never seen anything like this before…", said Gil. "These buildings are very different to what I've seen in the past."

"Yeah, Lowee is an old nation, so the architecture is a bit different to the newer ones. At least, that's what I've heard.", explained Uzume.

Neptune put her hands behind her head."They're supposedly "Japanese", or something. I know a bit about this style, I looked into it before. Expect the entire nation to look like this." The architecture around them was all similar. The buildings were square, and they were primarily white with green, blue or orange roofs. There was a very large building at the further end of the city.

"So that's the Basilicom?", asked Renna.

"Yup!", answered Neptune.

"It's the biggest building in the city. Told ya it'd be like this.", added Uzume.

"We should find a place to stay at. Ideally a hotel, like before.", said Gil.

Neptune put her hands together. "Then let's get crack-a lackin'!" They walked through the city streets. They must've been in a market district, because there were stalls selling their wares on every path. The workers were constantly shouting out what deals they had and talking about what items they sold, as well as the quality of them. The streets were busy, but not so much that they couldn't move through. There were small lines at every shop.

Uzume looked around with interest. "Nice community they got here. You can walk wherever and check out the shops!"

"Yup! It looks like it's a very open place.", added Renna.

"I hear that the Goddess here was once very strict. She wouldn't really allow outsiders inside the nation. She's changed that now, by the looks of things."

"That's great to hear."

"Oh yeah, and about how you mentioned that it's "open"? That goes for the buildings, as well.", said Neptune.

"What do you mean?", inquired Gil.

"Well, for example… Most doors aren't the usual lock and key kind. They're almost all sliding doors, so you can't exactly lock them."

Uzume raised an eyebrow. "So privacy isn't really a huge thing?"

"I wouldn't say that. More like, it's important to respect other people's privacy, if that makes sense."

Renna nodded to herself. "Yeah, I get it." They continued walking through the streets for a few minutes. "The way here was very orange."

Gil looked towards his sister. "What did you think of it?"

"I liked it! It's like it's constantly Autumn over here! It's so pretty…"

"It's like a bunch-a Uzume's everywhere!", said Neptune.

"I don't think I'd make my nation look like this, Nepsy…"

Renna was curious about this. "Wait, you mean that you don't have one?"

"Umm… It's a bit complicated. Like… I do, but it's not completely under my rule anymore? I'll tell ya another time, when we have more time."

"Hmmm, alright."

They kept walking for a while when Gil pointed at a white and orange building. It was a few stories high. "There. That place has a sign on it that says we can stay there."

"I'm cool with that place. What about you two?", asked Renna.

Neptune gave a thumbs up. "Yipperoo!"

"I'm down.", answered Uzume.

They all made their way to the building. The entrance was made up of two sliding doors, with Neptune sliding them across. "Oh, and cleanliness is also super important. That's why we're supposed to take our shoes off before entering.", said Neptune, already taking her shoes off. "Walk around in your socks and whatever!"

"Nepsy, do you even wear socks?", asked Uzume.

"That's a negative!"

They all wiped their shoes against a mat and took their shoes off. They then all walked inside. Similar to the previous hotel, Neptune walked towards the person at the counter. She spoke with the employee at the counter for a while and discussed their arrangements. Neptune returned holding a numbered piece of paper, along with some writing on it. "We're on the top floor this time! So, like, the third floor."

"That's fine. We don't have to be high up.", said Gil.

There was no elevator to take since it was a small building. As such, they walked up a few flights of stairs and arrived on the third floor. "We're the first room on the right.", said Neptune.

They walked a few steps forward and turned to face another sliding door. "Guess you were right about the door part.", said Renna.

Gil slid the door open and walked inside. The three girls followed suit. The room was very cozy. The roof was orange with wooden beams reaching across it. The floors were beige with brown lines flowing through them. The walls were also beige with wooden struts at each corner of the room and at the center of each wall. There was also a TV mounted to the right wall, with a cabinet underneath it housing consoles and games.

In the center was a table with blankets attached to it, which Gil looked at. "What… is that table? I've never seen anything like it."

"Oh! That's something called a "kotatsu" table, and it's, like, suuuuper comfortable. It's all warm and snuggly inside.", answered Neptune.

"Oooooh! Sounds nice!", commented Renna.

"Y-Yeah, it seems alright.", added Uzume.

Further into the room was the kitchen. It was fairly standard, with an orange counter top and a wooden chopping board. There was a fridge, a microwave, and an oven. There was another sliding door on the right of the room. Presumably, it led into the bathroom. To the left of the lounge was yet another sliding door. It was covered with brown lines and beige squares.

"I'm guessing that this is the bedroom?", asked Uzume.

Neptune grabbed onto it. "Probably." She slid it open and entered a fairly empty room. There were four matresses on the floor, and they weren't elevated in any way. The room design was about the same as the first room.

"This is… really simple. But also super cozy!", started Renna. "It gives off such a warm feeling."

Uzume looked around the mostly empty room. "I agree. It's nice. Guess we just gotta be wary of each other while we stay here. Wouldn't want any… um, weird things to happen."

Neptune wiggled her eyebrows at Uzume. "Care to, uh, elaborate on those things, Uzume?"

"I-I'm fine, Nepsy! T-There's no need to say that kind of embarrassing stuff!" Uzume ran off to the kitchen and unpacked a few portions of supplies.

"That girl is so cute." Neptune started walking towards the center room, leaving Renna and Gil alone in the bedroom.

"Watcha think, Gil?"

"I think it's nice. It's very welcoming."

"Let's just be careful when we enter the different rooms, alright?"

"I'll… be sure to do that."

"Cool. I don't want anything weird to happen."

"Same."

They walked back into the main room... And saw a very relaxed Nep. "Heeeeey, you guys~." Neptune was sitting under the kotatsu, and only her head was poking out from the blanket. "It's so waaaaarm~."

Gil looked at her with half-lidded eyes. "Neptune? What're you doing?"

"Come join meeeeee, Gillyyyyy. It's so niiiiiiiiice~."

Renna was a bit curious, so she walked over to the kotatsu. She lifted up the blanket and sat down next to Neptune, covering herself with the blanket. "Wow, this is… it really is niiiiice."

Gil looked at the both of them with half-lidded eyes. He walked over to the both of them and tapped Renna on her shoulder. He also gave a pat to Neptune's head. "Ahhh~. Do it agaaaain~." Gil looked at her with half-lidded eyes again. "Shouldn't we do something else in the city before we settle down?"

Neptune rolled over onto her back. "But I wanna relaaaaaaaax~.", She was looking up at the ceiling, with her hair flowing onto the floor.

"I… I kinda agree, Gillyyyy...", said Renna. Gil widened his eyes at this.

Uzume leaned against a wall in the lounge. "Well then why don't we all relax somewhere out in the city? There's gotta be some nice places for us to hang out and chill, right?"

"Yeah… I agree.", said Renna, pulling herself out from under the kotatsu in a slow manner. Gil helped her along by taking hold of the collar of her shirt and sliding her across the floor. "Weeeeeee~!"

Neptune was still looking up at the ceiling. Her eyes suddenly widened in realization, and she then narrowed her eyes while wearing a sly smile.

"Oh no…", muttered Uzume.

"What's wrong?", questioned Gil.

"Neptune's got an idea. And, I mean… Just look at her face."

Gil turned his head to Neptune, who was standing up. She was rubbing her hands together.

"Oh, I gotta great idea! Trust me, it's wonderful!"

"And… what is this amazing idea?", asked Renna.

"Don't worry about that stuff! Just be sure to follow me, and don't ask any questions. You guys will love it! Oh you guys will~ love~ it~!"

Renna looked to Uzume with a somewhat worried expression. "Should we be worried?"

Uzume shrugged. "Probably. But we can't really stop her when she gets like this."

"Ya see, be like Uzume! Listen to me and my amazing ideas!"

"I wasn't-"

"Shhhh, just go with it."

Uzume sighed. "…Fine. But I swear, Neptune, if this gets us into any weird situations…"

"That's entirely up to you, Uzume!"

"…O-Okay? What does that mean?"

"You'll see!" Neptune looked at Renna and Gil. "You guys have no choice! A party sticks together no matter what!"

Renna scratched her cheek. "I'm sure it won't be anything bad. I-I hope, at least…"

"Only if you make it bad!", added Neptune.

"That… I don't really know what that means…"

"Welcome to the club.", commented Uzume.

"And you, Gilly?", questioned Neptune.

Gil looked at all of his companions. "I don't think I have a choice. So I'll come with."

"Oh, goody! Now… Just follow me! And no take-backsies!" Neptune pointed towards the others.

"I have a bad feeling about this…", muttered Uzume.

"Can you… give us any hint? Anything at all?", asked Renna.

"I can! Umm… So do you guys remember when the author said something about a little "special" thing happening?" Uzume, Renna and Gil all looked at Neptune with confused stares. "Yeah, I guess you wouldn't… But anywhat, something special this way comes! Transition scene, away!"

* * *

**Somewhere near the outskirts of Lowee city:**

"Nepsy… where are you taking us?"

"Are we there yet?", added Renna.

"Almost, almost. I saw it on a map while we were walking here, so it should be close…" Neptune scoured the buildings around her. They all looked similar, but she knew which one she was looking for. "Ah-HA! There, there! It's there, you guys! Come on, let's go!" Neptune ran towards the building while the others followed.

"Finally…", commented Uzume.

"I'm just wondering what it is…", muttered Renna.

The group of four stopped in front of a large building. It had large walls spread out around it, with no other buildings next to it. "What is this?", asked Gil. Neptune pointed up at the building, where a large sign could be seen.

"What does it… Oh no…", said Uzume.

Renna looked up at the sign. "Hot springs? I've heard about them…"

"Me too. What are they?", asked Gil.

"Oooh, I'm glad ya asked, Gilly! It's a super special and relaxing place!", answered Neptune.

"That's… not an answer I was looking for."

Uzume facepalmed. "…Really, Nepsy? REALLY?!"

"Hey, hey, hey, Uzume! Chill out! This is just a place where we can settle down and relax for a while. Release some of the stress and bad vibes and… stuff."

"Uhhhh… I can't believe you."

"So… what is it?", asked Renna.

"So…", started Neptune. "Imagine a large pool, surrounded by rocks. Got it?"

"Got it…"

"And imagine that it's self-heated and all super steamy and stuff, and you go in there with nothing but your skin and a towel!"

"E-Excuse me?!"

"Relaaaaaax! It's good for the skin and the mind, and the rest of your body! And don't worry, there are two separate pools! One for guys, and one for gals." Gil could be seen letting out a large sigh while placing a hand to his face.

"It's basically fanservice…", summarized Uzume.

"Heeeey! No it's not! It's, uh… necessary bonding! We'll get to discuss things and… other things!"

"But why would we discuss important things without Gil?", asked Renna.

"Well, personally, I wouldn't mind it if there was one big, shared pool for all of us…"

"Nepsy!"

"…But there isn't one, so that's a thing. Besides, we can tell him afterwards. But maybe the "important stuff" will be… girly things… Heh." Neptune raised her hands to her mouth in a mischievous way, teasingly looking at Gil. Gil opted to not say anything.

"And you say… that it's for us to relax?", asked Renna.

"Maybe a little skinship here and there…"

"NEPSY!"

"…Kidding, I'm kidding! Maybe!"

"So that's a yes?", asked Renna.

"Yup!"

"Okay… so it's okay… Whew, I've never really done this with other people before, so it's kinda… embarrassing, if I'm honest."

"It'll be fiiiine! Like I said, bonding and important things!" Neptune turned to Gil and playfully pointed at him. "And no peeking, you!"

"Wasn't planning on it."

"Hmmm… I know you boys! All pervy and stuff! I'll be keeping an eye out for you!"

Uzume eyed Neptune suspiciously. "I think that maybe YOU should be the worrying about someone peeking at you, Gilsy."

"Oooooh, Uzume, is that you saying that you're gonna go peeking and stuff? How bold of you…"

Uzume's face flashed red. "A-As if I would do something like that! That's icky, and ewwy and, like, totally gross!"

"…I'll be sure to be careful.", said Gil.

Renna looked at Neptune and Uzume, and then at Gil. She looked up at him with upturned eyebrows and tugged at his left arm.

"…Renna? What's wrong?"

"It's... nothing… I just… I want you to relax and take this time to rest, okay?"

"…Don't worry. What else is there to do here?"

Satisfied with the answer, Renna let go of him and returned to how she normally looked. "We should get going, then!"

"Agreed! Move it, people!", added Neptune.

Uzume rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah…" They walked up a small set of stairs and slid open a large door. The interior was pretty much the same as the previous building. Beige floors, brown lines and wooden pieces, as well as an orange roof. Once more, Neptune rushed to the counter. She spoke to the lady there and eventually walked back to the rest of the group. "We got free reign here! The lady said that nobody has any bookings, so we should be safe!"

The group slid open another door and walked into a passageway with two more sliding doors situated apart from each other. The left door had a sign for "Male", and the right had a sign for "Female".

Neptune turned to Gil. "Guess this is where we part ways for now."

"We'll tell you when we're done… somehow. Otherwise, just wait for us, okay?", asked Uzume.

"Okay."

"And remember, no peekiiiiing!", said Neptune.

"I won't."

"I know, I'm just teasing!"

Neptune and Uzume turned to walk through the doorway, while Renna hadn't started moving yet.

"I'll be fine, Renna. Worry about relaxing yourself."

"You too."

They turned away from each other, and they each entered their respective doorways.

* * *

**A few minutes later:**

Neptune, Uzume and Renna were all relaxing in the water. They stayed near the left edge of the pool. Just to the left of the edge was a large bamboo wall which separated the two different pools.

"Ahhhhhhh~. This is so relaxing…", said Uzume. She had a towel around her neck and it reached down her front to cover the essentials. She was leaning against the wall of the pool with her arms resting against it. She had her hair loose and wore it down.

Neptune slowly nodded. "Ya seeeeeee… The kotatsu's got nothing on this…" She had a towel wrapped around her upper half, exposing her shoulders. She was to the right of Uzume and had her arms behind her head while leaning against the wall.

"Y-Yeah… This is really nice…", said Renna. She wore her towel in a similar fashion to Neptune, and her arms were down by her sides, underwater. She was leaning against the wall while sitting on the right of Neptune. The water was below her shoulders, but only by a small distance.

"Yeaaaaah~."

"Mmmmmhmmmmmm~."

They relaxed in the pool without saying anything else for a few seconds. It was late afternoon and the sun was low. As such, it was somewhat dark.

Neptune was looking up into the sky. "So… Renna?"

"Y-Yes?" Renna didn't really know what Neptune would speak about.

"I got a question… about your little bro…" Renna, who was looking down at the water, widened her eyes while staring into it somewhat tensely. "…It's about the quest that he did earlier…"

Renna blinked and relaxed herself, looking up at Neptune. "Yeah? What about it?"

"He's, uh… kinda brutal sometimes, dontcha think?"

"…Do you mean with the dogoos?"

"I'm… guessing that's happened before?"

"Yup. He despises the little things. He always calls them disgusting, and stupid, and worthless, and… Yeah, he hates them."

Uzume pushed against the pool wall, floating in front of her friends. "But why is that?" She came to a stop and sat there.

"He just finds them disgusting. He always has. He doesn't like the idea of them touching people."

"Is it only dogoos, or are there other things?", continued Neptune.

"Not normally, no. He does get like that when he fights something that's dangerous and is threatening me, though…"

"Like, he gets all violent if you're in danger?", asked Uzume.

"Yeah… It hasn't happened a lot, but… Yeah. As you said, he can be quite brutal."

Neptune took a wary smile. "And to monsters only?" Neptune was a little worried while asking this.

"Y…Yeah. Monsters only..."

"Yeah… He was flinging the poor things all over the place back there… I worry for anyone that saw that scene!" They all relaxed without saying anything. "He uses his hands a lot, doesn't he?"

Uzume half-liddded her eyes at Neptune. "You mean when he fights without weapons?"

"Yeah!"

"Yeah… he does. I've always thought about getting him some sort of glove weapon. It'll go well with…", started Renna.

"…Your boots!", said Neptune. "Like, you're using your legs and he's using his arms!"

Uzume nodded to herself. "That's… Yeah, that'd be pretty cool… Like two halves to a…" She stopped herself.

"…Whole, yeah.", finished Renna. She looked sad while saying that, but quickly looked up, brandishing a smile.

Neptune noticed this and tried to change the subject. "I'm sure that we'll get him a pair of weapons like that sometime! But anyway…" Neptune floated in front of Renna and pulled Uzume across the water. They were both in front of Renna. "Time for some girl talk!"

Uzume sighed to herself. "Here we go…"

"This is bonding, I swear!"

Renna blinked at Neptune a few times. "So… what did you want to, um, talk about?"

"Well… Since we're all open to each other, how about… our bodies!" Neptune wiggled her eyes while saying this.

Uzume retracted her arms to her top half, covering herself. "Uh-uh! Nepsy's going to be all touchy-feely! Noooo!"

Neptune put a finger to her mouth. "Hey, hey, shush! You'll give Gilly the wrong impression! I'm not going to touch you, don't worry. But girls do this, don't they? It's alright to speak about things like this, right? Like our sizes and stuff. Right?"

Renna looked away. "I-I've never… done that… before… I haven't had anyone to… talk to about those kind of things before…"

"Yeah, Nepsy, you're really weird! I-I've only done things like this a few times in the past, a-and I don't think I've ever spoken about my sizes before!"

"Oooh, so two newcomers, then? Hehehe… We'll start with you, Uzume!" Neptune rushed towards Uzume.

"N-Noooooo!"

Neptune grabbed a hold of Uzume's arms and prevented her from swimming away. "I already know a bit about you, so it's fiiiiine! No need to be embarrassed!"

"Y-You said you wouldn't touch me! And that doesn't help!" They struggled for a bit longer. "A-And who the hell bonds over getting naked, Nepsy?!"

"Plenty-a people, I tell ya! There's nothing wrong with being confident enough in that totally sexy body of yours! So come on, spread the news with your friends, huh?"

"Ahhhhh! I don't wanna!" Uzume was full valley-girl mode at this point.

Renna could only watch on at this nude wrestling match. Hands were flailing, people were moving, and towels were flying. After a few moments, both Neptune and Uzume had recovered. "Ahem… So Uzume's decided to tell us! Yaaaay!", clapped Neptune.

"…You're so embarrassing, Nepsy…" Uzume readjusted her towel. "You get way too close!"

"But you're so cuuuute, Uzume!"

"Still!"

"Aaaanyway, I'll start us off!" Neptune readjusted her towel. "So, usually, Uzume looks a little smaller than she does now, if you catch my drift."

Renna nodded. "I… I do."

"That's because she wears a special bra that pushes those bad-boys to make em' look smaller. And why is that, Uzume?", asked Neptune, turning to Uzume in a teasing manner.

"It's… so that they don't get in the way while I'm fighting… I use my fists a lot, so I don't want… anything to get in the way…"

"Ya see! A perfectly logical reason!"

"That… does actually make sense, Uzume. That's… smart? I guess?", said Renna.

"T-Thanks…"

"So what size are ya, Uzume? Let Renna know!"

"I-I'm a… C-cup…"

"And it's out there! Wowza, finally! Me next, me next!", spoke Neptune. She placed a finger to her cheek and thought for a while. "I don't really got anything to say! No special quirks or whatever about my puppies! I'm also a C-cup, but… I dunno who's bigger between Uzume and I… Maybe I should find out…" Neptune slowly edged her way towards Uzume.

"Don't! No, dooooon't!"

"I'm just teasin' ya, don't worry." Neptune had an idea. She clasped her hands around her mouth and shouted towards the bamboo wall. "Don't worry about us, Gilly! We're totally not naked and running around, flopping over each other while posing seductively! So don't think about those things, okay? Okay?" It became silent while the three girls listened out for anything. There was no response. "He's totally thinking those things about us now. Totally."

Uzume covered her face as it became red."Why do you do these things…"

"So now… It's your turn, Renny!" Neptune had her arms in front of her, pushing off the floor of the pool.

Renna knew that this was coming, but was still nervous. "I… W-Well, I am a bit smaller than you two…"

"So, like, a size under?", inquired Neptune.

"Y-Yeah, from the looks of things…"

"So that makes you… a B-cup, then.", said Uzume.

Neptune nodded enthusiastically. "Hmmm, some diversity is always nice! It's no good if we all have the same sizes!"

"I-I suppose so…"

"And any special… perks that come with those possessions of yours?"

"N-No, there's nothing going on with me! Nothing at all!"

"Hmmm… I don't know… Maybe the Nep-Inspector needs to investigate!" Neptune started holding her hands in front of her.

"No, Neptune, don't do that! No, no!", said Renna. She got up from her seated position and ran through the water.

Neptune got up and gave chase. "Imma getcha!" The two of them ran throughout the pool area. Neptune caught Renna a few times, but Renna managed to wriggle away on most occasions.

"Come on, Uzume! Come join in on the fun!", shouted Neptune, while chasing after Renna.

Renna looked towards Uzume in a pleading manner. "Help, Uzume!"

"I'll… I'll come help!" Uzume started chasing after Neptune, who was chasing after Renna. Sometimes Neptune caught Renna, and sometimes Uzume caught Neptune. A few times, all three of them were wrestling around with each other. Red, purple, and cyan hair was flowing through the air, in a mix-mash of colours that fit together in their own way. They all eventually forgot their original objectives and started wrestling with each other for the fun of it. In the pool, out the pool, and in-between. No area was safe from these three friends.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the wall, Gil was sitting in the water with the water below his shoulders. He could hear everything. Them running around and splashing in the water, and them laughing with each other, shouting with each other, and talking to each other. At first he was worried when Neptune had shouted out those things about chasing Renna. He couldn't help it. He even thought about rushing over to their side in order to make sure that they weren't doing anything weird. He could've climbed the wall and looked over to make sure. But he decided against it for two reasons.

The first being that he wouldn't hear the end of it from any of them. Neptune would constantly tease him over that time that he peeked at them, Uzume would be too embarrassed to properly talk with him for a while, and Renna would tell him to calm down and relax, among other things.

The second, and more important reason, was that he had faith in Neptune and Uzume. They were great friends with Renna, and it showed. Renna was always very happy when she was around them, and this was more than enough for Gil.

And… Gil thought of them as his friends, as well… Surely, they were friends? He looked down at the water and sunk further into it so that only his head was above it. He listened in. The commotion had stopped. He could no longer hear them running, splashing, or talking to each other. Why was that? He looked up to the wall. It was… shaking slightly. He saw a hand grab the top of it, and then a second. Then, he saw Neptune.

"Hey, how're ya doin', Gilly?"

The only parts of Neptune that were visible were her arms, her head, and the part just below her collarbones.

Gil looked at her with half-lidded eyes. "What are you doing, Neptune? That's dangerous."

"I'm fine, I tells ya! I'm an expert climber." The wall moved around some more, and one of Neptune's hands came loose.

"Yeah, I can see that."

"T-That wasn't my fault!"

"Just… don't fall."

"I won't! And if I do, it'll be on your side! So you can catch me like a princess!"

"…I would rather have you not fall at all."

"Boo…"

Another pair of hands made themselves visible on Neptune's right side. Soon after, Uzume appeared. "N-Nepsy… Why are you up here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!"

"I'm tryin' to get you down!"

"Hmmhmmm… you say that, but… look down there!"

"N-No! Gil is down there!", said Uzume, closing her eyes.

"Only his head is visible, don't worry."

Uzume snuck a glance and saw that Neptune was telling the truth. "H-Hey, Gilsy…"

"Hi."

"Yeah… H-How much did you, uh, hear?"

Gil didn't say anything for a few seconds. "I could hear you all running around and splashing about."

"Anything else?"

"I heard you guys shouting to each other."

"A-And… before that?"

Gil took his time replying. "What do you mean?"

Uzume fidgeted around in her position. "I… I mean, like… about our…umm…"

"She means about our sizes! She's talking about our-!"

"Shut up, Nepsy! Shut up!" They looked at each other, and then down at Gil.

"…So?", said Neptune, in a teasing voice.

"Nepsy!" Uzume looked down nonetheless.

He still had his half-lidded stare. He looked at them, then shifted his gaze to the part of the wall right in front of him. He then turned around to lean against the edge of the rock pool.

"W-What does that mean?!", exclaimed Uzume.

"I think that's a yes! Now he knows your size, Uzume! Teeheehee!"

"H-He knows yours, too!"

"Yeah, but I'm not embarrassed! Friends share this sort of information, so I don't mind him knowing."

Gil turned back around at this statement and looked up at them. Yet another pair of hands made themselves visible, followed by a head of cyan. "How're you doing down there, Gil?"

"I'm doing fine, Renna. Nothing of note has happened on my side."

"Can't say the same about my side."

"I could hear that, yeah."

"It was all in good fun, don't worry!"

"…I'm glad."

"I was just chasing Renna around the pool, I promise!", said Neptune.

"I believe you."

"A-And I was chasing Neptune around to make sure she didn't do anything weird!", said Uzume.

"I believe you as well."

"C-Cool…" GIl didn't say anything else, and the three girls started talking.

Renna rested her chin on the top of the wall. "So why'd you climb up here in the first place, Neptune?"

"Eh, I felt like it. It's good to stretch the limbs."

"Nothing else?"

"Nope!"

"Why'd you climb up here, Renna?", asked Uzume.

"I wanted to join you two and also have that little chat with my brother. Just to clarify our actions, ya know?"

"Y-Yeah… That makes sense… So that he doesn't think anything weird…"

"Yeah…" They continued talking while hanging onto the ledge. Gil could not help but smile to himself while looking up at the three girls. He thought about what they had spoken about in the pool.

Neptune was… a weird one. She was so open. She had also said some… things to tease Gil a lot while he was listening. Uzume... She was really tough, but had that… other side to her. It wasn't a bother for Gil. It was innocent, and she reacted as such. And Renna... His sister. She had girls that she could spend time with. She could talk with them and have fun with them.

He held his smile. The three girls stopped and noticed him. They all smiled to each other, and then smiled widely at Gil. Things could not get much better than this. "How about you all spend the rest of your time in the water and relax yourselves?"

Neptune saluted. "Will do!" She started to climb down.

Uzume looked around for a bit before starting to climb down. "Yeah, I-I should do that…"

Renna nodded at Gil, and Gil nodded back. "Enjoy yourself, Gil."

"You too, Renna." She lowered herself down and was out of sight.

Gil turned back around and leaned against the wall. He relaxed himself with his eyes closed and a small smile.

* * *

**Back at their hotel in Lowee, an hour later:**

"Ahhhhhh~… it's nice to be back here…", sighed Neptune.

Uzume had her hands to her hips. "…And you're back to lazing under the kotatsu, I see."

"Yeah… come join me, Uzume." Neptune reached out to Uzume. She sprawled herself across the floor like a cat and grabbed a hold of Uzume's ankles.

"Woah, waoh, Nepsy! I could fall!"

"Join me… Join meeeeeee~!" Neptune pulled at Uzume's ankles.

"But I gotta get supper goin'…"

"We still got a few more hours to do that! It doesn't have to be complicated, so pleeeeeeeeaaase!" She was still tugging at Uzume.

"Uhhhh… Fine!"

"Yay!" Uzume sat down on the left side of Neptune. She lifted up the blanket and sat under it, instantly falling under its spell. "W-Wooow! This thing… It's heated! It's… so…niiiiice!" She was slowly turning into her girly side.

Neptune rolled over to face Renna and Gil and beckoned them over. "Join us! Join us!"

"Ahh, why not? Come, Gil!", said Renna, as she ran over to the side on the right of Neptune. She positioned herself under the blanket. "It really is nice, Gil."

"One of us! One of us!", chanted Neptune.

"Uzume wants you to join us! One of us! One of us!"

"Come join us, Gil! It's niiiiiice…", said Renna.

Gil looked at all of them. He walked over to the only available side and sat down.

Neptune kept egging him on. "Do it! Get under the blanket!" He eventually complied. He covered his legs, as well as a part of his mid-section, with the blanket.

"…So? What do you think?", asked Renna.

"Tell us, tell us!", added Uzume.

Neptune didn't say anything, but rather smiled at him, waiting. He looked at all of them. "…This is nice." All three of the girls giggled after some time. "…What's so funny?"

"…You're always so serious, Gilly…", started Neptune.

"…So when Uzume and Nepsy and Rensy see you act like this…", continued Uzume.

"…It's very funny to see.", finished Renna.

Gil was caught off guard by this sudden group attack and it showed on his face. "Oh my Goddess, you guys… We actually got him!", stated Neptune.

"…We got him, we got him! Are you surprised, Gilsy? Gilsy is so surprised!", spoke Uzume, with a happy face.

"Are you happy, Gilly?", asked Renna.

He looked throughout the three girls in front of him once more. "Yes. Yes, I'm happy."

And so, the group of four spent some time under the kotatsu. Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, they would all talk with each other about how they felt about the hot springs. After that, they would all contribute towards the preparing of supper. They would eat it while sitting by the kotatsu, and they would talk some more. They would retire to their bedroom once it was late enough. The girls got changed in the bedroom while Gil got changed in the bathroom.

They would lie down on their mattresses and chat some more. And once they had all said enough, they would turn the light off and bid each other goodnight with sweet dreams.

Then, as a group, they would all fall asleep, letting the night pass them by.

* * *

**And that is that! **

**So… how was that "special" part? I promise, it's not JUST for fanservice! I swear!**

**I hope I gave Gil justice in that part. I don't want him to be seen as some pervert-harem-master that gets the girls simply because he EXISTS, ya know? So I showed him as such.**

**The same goes for Neptune, Uzume, and Renna. I want to show them all friendly and stuff towards each other. Neptune is a natural tease, Uzume is tough, but cutesy, and Renna is very friendly, but can also get embarrassed at new things, or such open things. So I hope I got them all right!**

**I hope the characters interactions all flowed properly, and were all super friendshippy and stuff. That's my intention, at least. I hope they feel natural.**

**I'm trying to convey them all correctly, so I hope I did!**

**I got nothing much else to say, as I said most things in the first Author's Note.**

**So yeah! Any opinions or reviews that you wanna put out there are welcomed with open arms! Seriously, they're wide open! Any thoughts, or theories, or… just general stuff about this story. I really don't mind! It's great to see what people thought about my work!**

**I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! **

**Goodbye for now!**


	16. Surprise Project

**Hello again everyone! I'm on time, this time! At least, in my timezone…**

**So yeah! Good times ahead, I tell you. **

**I hope you enjoy this one!**

**Onwards!**

* * *

**Chapter 15:**

"So how'd you guys sleep?" The group of four had all woken up, and they decided to sit around in the lounge, under the kotatsu. Neptune, with a cup of coffee in her hands, had asked the group the question.

"It was alright.", answered Uzume. "I kinda thought that it'd be uncomfortable, 'cus we're almost lying on the floor, but it was good. No complaints from me."

Renna had a blanket around her, and she readjusted it around herself. "We're used to sleeping on the ground, so I think it didn't really bother me or Gil."

Gil wiped at his eyes in an effort to be more awake. "It was very cold during the night. And it's still very cold."

Neptune shrugged her shoulders. "I think that's just a Lowee thing. I think."

The four of them had already eaten breakfast. It consisted of eggs and bacon, along with a few slices of toast. Neptune sat across from Gil, Uzume sat on Neptune's left with Renna opposite her.

"So… what're we gonna do today?", asked Uzume. The other three members thought about this for a while. "Got any "feelings" about a dungeon this time, Rensy?"

"N-No. No feelings like that…"

Neptune put her hands onto the table. "We can go visit some places out in the city? We're here to explore, after all!"

"Maybe. I think I'll go see if there are any useful supplies out in the city later.", said Gil.

"Yeah, maybe there's some stuff we don't have with us.", said Uzume.

"Yeah, yeah… But what about now?", asked Neptune. The three others thought about this as well. "I already know! We can find out about each other's past! All the important details!" Uzume, Renna and Gil all looked very surprised at this suggestion. Uzume gave a look that said "What're you doing?!" while Renna and Gil took nervous faces. "How about you go first, Uzume? You've been meaning to tell them about it…"

Uzume looked at Neptune with a similar face to before. "Come on, Uzume. It's great to learn about our friends.", finished Neptune. From these words, Uzume figured out what Neptune was implying. She was trying to show Renna and Gil that her and Uzume really were their friends, and since they were so open about their past, that it was okay to tell Neptune and Uzume about their own.

It was a long shot, but it was worth a try. At the very least, it'd give them time to think on it. "Okay, yeah. I'll start us off. Buckle up, 'cus it's a long story." Nobody had anything urgent to do, so they were all okay with it. Renna and Gil were still nervous about when it got to their turn, but they listened in on Uzume's story with intent. They would learn about her and about her life as the CPU of a nation. "Okay, so… I guess I'll start… in the Zero Dimension."

Renna shifted her head to one side. "Wait, Zero Dimension?"

"There's another dimension you went to?", asked Gil.

"Yeah, there is. I'll explain about it during this story of mine. You'll have a lot of questions, but I'll try to answer them, alright?" Renna and Gil nodded in affirmation. "So I wake up in this "Zero Dimension." I called it that because there were no people there. It was barren and apocalyptic looking. There weren't any nations because they'd been destroyed. All the buildings were ruined and it was always dark. It was so decrepit. There were monsters, though, but some of them were friendly. They could speak and everything! They're part of my group back home."

"Are you, like, the leader of it?", asked Renna.

"Yup, that's spot on. I kept them safe, and in return they found some share crystals for me. Share crystals are a sort of… storable energy for a Goddess. I could use them to access my Goddess form, since there was nobody to believe in me."

"What about the monsters? Didn't they believe in you?", asked Gil.

"Not at first. At some point I could start getting Share Energy from them, and I'll explain that later as well. Just know that we fought this massive purple giant. It was soooo powerful…"

"Wait, "we"?", asked Renna.

"I-I meant me and the monsters…"

"Oh, okay. Makes sense."

"What's next… Yeah, we beat the big giant. After that, things get a little more… complicated." Uzume took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. "You see… I'm kinda part of a person that split into two."

Renna and Gil's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Yeah, yeah, I had this whole other half of me. But first, I'll explain who that first person was. The thing is, although we split into two pieces, my personality is the one that I had before we split. So really, I am that same person. No doubt about it. I was the CPU of Planeptune in the Hyperdimension."

"Planeptune?!", voiced Renna.

"Yeah… in the Hyperdimension."

"Y-Yeah, right… I-I just didn't know that there was another Planeptune."

"I suppose that'd surprise anyone. I was the ruler of Planeptune a very long time ago. I made consoles and games for my people, I protected them from monsters, and I was friendly to them. But I had this ability that sort of… ran wild. It was the power to create whatever I wanted, whatever I dreamed of. It wasn't fully under my control, so I ended up hurting people against my will… The people even tried to assassinate me at some point, and I don't blame them. I lost a great friend that day… So I sealed myself away in my Basilicom and shut myself in there for many, many years. At some point down the line, I split into two pieces. And… I created the Zero Dimension through my dream power."

"…You're that powerful?!", exclaimed Renna.

"K-Kinda… it's a bit more complicated than that now. But back to it. I split into two. I am… well, you know how I am. But the other "me"… They were the side of me that had all the doubts, all the anger and hatred towards the people. They wanted nothing more than to destroy the Hyperdimension, and they almost succeeded."

"So you had a sort of evil side to yourself?", asked Gil.

"Yeah, that's exactly it. But she was crazy powerful. She could create dimensions just because she wanted to. That's how strong she was at the end. But I'll tell you guys about that after this. We went into this other dimension, the Heart Dimension."

"Another one?"

"Yeah. It was the dimension that had a giant share crystal in the center of it with a buncha space and floating buildings swirling around it. It was crazy to look at. The crystal had all the Share Energy from my actual body. It was basically my lifeline. And we destroyed it."

"Y-You destroyed your… your life?", inquired Renna.

"Yup. Myself and my group, along with Nepsy over here…"

"Hi!"

"…Had to in order to stop my other self. After that, I disappeared, and my other self did as well."

Gil crossed his arms. "So what happened after that?"

"I battled my other half for control of my body. Straight up brawl. No holes barred, nothin'. Battle to the death. And as you can see…", Uzume said proudly. "I won!"

Renna and Gil were left awestruck at the story. They spoke after a few seconds. "So you saved the dimension?!", asked Renna.

"Sure did!"

"That's so cool! That's amazing, Uzume!"

"Yeah, thanks. Felt pretty good, too."

Geez looked down at the floor. "That is… quite something… Geez, that really is quite something."

Uzume had on a smug face. "Hmmhmm, impressed, Gilsy?"

"I… I am. Wow… so does that mean that you can manipulate dimensions?"

"To a degree, yeah. Let me explain… I… Ahh, dammit, this is going to be kinda embarrassing… but when I do my whole… daydreaming… thing, it can happen."

"What, so it's not just you spacing out and acting all girly?", asked Renna.

"N-No! There's a reason for it! S-So, when I daydream about certain things, I can make them come true. N-Not major things, but, you know… some things…"

"Like what?", asked Gil.

"W-Well… for example, if I, for some reason, really wanted us to go to a shop and get some ice-cream with some nice toppings and delicious flavours…" Uzume's face started to become slightly softer, and her hands interlocked with one another. "…and, like, there's a super nice half-price special there, and we have free seats, and we can talk and be all friendly, and we have a super fun time with all of us as super best friends, and Uzume gets to have fun with all of you, and it's so nice, and…"

Neptune tapped on Uzume's shoulder. "Uhhhh, Uzume, dearest?"

"Wha-?!"

"Going a bit off the rails there. Acting all cute and stuff…"

"S-Shut up, Nepsy! Geez, you should've stopped me sooner!"

"Eh, it was fun to watch! Being all cutesy and stuff, and all friendshippy…"

"Shut up!"

"Okay, okay…"

Uzume cleared her throat. "S-So, um, yeah… like that. I can… alter what happens a little bit, like how I got some Share Energy from my monster friends in the Zero Dimension... B-But, um... S-So if you guys wanna go out and get some ice-cream later, I-I'd be down…" Uzume let out an awkward laugh before continuing. "…A-Anyway! There is another thing. My other half had the ability to not only create dimensions, but also send people into a sort of… dream world."

Renna was intrigued. "Ooooh, sounds interesting."

"Kinda. It makes a sort of area that you can see a person's dream world in. My other half used it to trap some of my group. It showed their ideal world, and they acted as if it was real. We could interact with them, but they still thought that it was inside their world."

"And can you do that?", asked Gil.

"Well… not quite. I've been practicing with my powers by myself, and I think that I'm able to do something similar now. I'm sure of it."

Neptune looked surprised. "Wait, what?! Uzume, you didn't even tell ME, your ol' pal Nepsy…"

"I-I wanted to give it some more practice first…"

"It's fine, don't worry about it."

"Cool… So this is what I know I can do… I can only do it to people who aren't awake, first of all. They have to be asleep or knocked out. Then, I can create their dream world. I don't think it shows up in this world, but more like it's in its own place. I can enter it, and I'm pretty sure I can take people with me. And inside, we'll see the person's ideal world. We won't be able to interact with them, so we'll only be able to observe them. We can see what it's like and what the people inside of it do. And… yeah. I think that's about it."

There was a short moment where nobody spoke. "So you can literally give people sweet dreams? Good on you!", spoke Neptune.

"I guess I can, yeah."

"That's pretty nifty."

"That's so cool! You can, like, make your own dimension and stuff! It is its own dimension, right?", asked Renna.

"Y-Yeah, I think so? It's not massive, and I don't think I can really change anything in it, but… it counts?"

Gil put a hand to his chin. "That's amazing…"

"Score, Uzume! That's a pretty neat ability you netted yourself!", said Neptune.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. But enough about me, it's you next, Nepsy.", She looked at Neptune while holding a satisfied face.

"I knew you were gonna say that, but I'm okay with it. So, where to start…" Renna and Gil waited with bated breath. "I don't really have anything special besides this Nep-note of mine!" Neptune pulled out a purple and black book. "I can store bugs and animals, and even people, inside of it. AND I can use their abilities. That's how I can hop through dimensions. I trapped that bug thing I told you guys about!"

Renna and Gil were still curious about that from the first time they had met Neptune and Uzume. It was the same kind of portal from before… "Can we see this bug thing, Neptune? I'd love to see how it looks!", said Renna.

"Yeah, sure, if she's awake!" Neptune started flipping through her book, landing on the page she was looking for. "Hey, you up for showing yourself?"

"I'm always up for that! Don't you know that I hate bein' in this freakin' book!", said a voice. They couldn't see who it belonged to yet.

"I don't want you running away on me, ya know? Who knows when you'll go flying off to some other dimension or something?"

"As if there's anything better to do besides stick with you… there's no bad guys or whatever, so even if I wanted to, I can't start anything."

"So are you saying that you don't even want to do anything else bad anymore?"

"Well I've stuck with you so far! Shouldn't ya be able to figure out that I wouldn't go off somewhere?"

"So you're saying that you enjoy my company?!"

"Get over yourself. You're a freakin' weirdo, so you cause interestin' stuff sometimes."

"I will take that as a yes!"

"Yeah, yeah… So can you let me out already?"

"Oh, right! There you go!"

A small, purple, butterfly-like creature flew out of the book and settled just above the table. "And as you guys can see…", said Neptune. The butterfly made a small, brief purple flash of light. "…She's actually a fairy!"

The fairy had slightly tanned skin along with light blue eyes and platinum blonde hair that vaguely resembled that of the smaller Neptune's. She wore a dark purple robe of sorts that resembled the bigger Histoire's. She had a pink circular gem by her neck, with chains reaching out of it to attach to her sleeves. Along the middle of the dress was a reddish-pinkish line running up it, forming diamond shapes as it reached her chest. There were grey diamond shapes there as well. She also had dark purple and blue tinged wings.

She faced towards Uzume and then looked to Renna and Gil. "Yo, what's up? The name's Croire. Don't mess it up."

Renna and Gil's eyes widened, and both of their mouths were agape, with Renna talking first. "T-That's quite… S-Surprising. It's very… surprising."

"Y-Yes… It is quite… different.", said Gil. They both knew this fairy.

"Oy, I'm right here, ya know?", voiced Croire, in a displeased manner. "Just met these two and I'm already gettin' treated like some science experiment."

"T-That's not what we meant at all…", replied Renna.

"Yeah, I know! She's a tiny, itty-bitty fairy that loves to stir up trouble!", spoke Neptune.

Croire glared at Neptune. "I'm done with that now, I'll have you know. Kinda don't wanna die, myself."

"So what you said before was true!"

"Well, duh."

"Awesome."

"Enough of that. Care to introduce me, ya dimwit?"

"Sure!" Neptune pointed to Uzume. "You already know Uzume…"

Uzume, who was leaning back on her arms, raised one to Croire in the form of a greeting. "'Sup."

"Hey."

Neptune then pointed at Renna and Gil with both of her hands. "Those two are the new ones!"

"Yeah, can we get to names already?"

"Yessiree! She's Renna, and he's Gil!"

"Hey.", greeted Renna.

"Hi.", spoke Gil.

"Renna and Gil… Hmmm…", said Croire, pondering over their names. "Say, have I met you two before?"

"W-Why do you ask?", asked Renna.

"I dunno… I feel like I've met ya some place in the past… But I don't know when…"

"Woah, Crosty knows our newcomers?", said Uzume.

"Oooh, Crosty, do you really?", asked Neptune.

"Dunno… I get the feeling that I have, but…" Croire took a closer look at them. She then started to remember. Their names were so familiar… The girl's hair was peculiar… Cyan, with brown strands… And their eyes… Grey and cyan for each of them, complementing each other… "No way…"

Renna and Gil were even more nervous now. They had to find some way to stop Croire from revealing who they really were.

"…Or… Nah, I think I got it wrong.", spoke Croire.

Upon hearing this, Renna and Gil both decided to not do anything. There was always the possibility that Croire truly had forgotten them, so they had to take the chance. Neptune looked confused. "Wait… so do you recognize them or not?"

Croire narrowed her eyes at Renna and Gil, focusing on them. "Nah… don't think I do. Must've been something else."

Uzume rolled her eyes. "Way to go causing a scene there, Crosty."

"Whatever.", replied Croire, waving away in response.

Neptune took a pose, pointing at Renna and Gil. "So, how about we go onto your stories?" She was looking between Renna and Gil with an innocent smile.

"I, um… I-I don't know where to start…", said Renna. Gil didn't speak and he instead let Renna do the talking.

"How's about you do some explaining, Gilsy?", asked Uzume. It was nonchalant, and friendly.

"I don't think I'm the best at doing those kind of things…"

"It's okay, I got it!", said Renna. Gil looked at Renna meaningfully. She had to have come up with a plan. "We grew up in this small village on the outskirts of… a nation. I can't really remember where, we were both really young when we had to leave."

"Why'd you have to leave?", asked Neptune.

"We were forced out. A group of… monsters… attacked the village, and we were escorted out of it along with the other children. We were all held at… an orphanage for some years. Then we both grew up and we set out to explore this world."

"And your village?", asked Uzume.

"There's nothing left of it…"

Croire floated next to Neptune. "Sounds rough."

"Yes… it was."

"Well, I'm glad that you two are okay! At least you're both alive!", said Neptune, in a happy manner.

"I guess."

"And is there anything else?", asked Uzume.

"Maybe… there's some stuff I'm forgetting. But that's it."

"Huh. Okay then."

Neptune retracted herself from the sweet embrace of the kotatsu and stood up, stretching herself. "I think that today we can all go out into the city to do what we want! Whatever objectives you have!"

Uzume got up from the floor. "I'm down. Although I don't really have anything to do, so I'll just wonder around."

"Yeah, same. Or we can join these two on whatever they do." Neptune looked at Renna and Gil with a smile.

"I actually do have something that I want to do today.", said Renna.

Gil looked at her with intrigue. "You do?"

"Yeah! Call it a project of mine!"

"You didn't tell me anything about this…"

"That's the point. It's a surprise!"

"Another one?"

"Yup."

Renna got up from under the kotatsu and let the blanket fall. "I'm going to get ready then." Renna poked at Neptune and Uzume while walking past them, heading in the direction of the bedroom. She ushered them to follow her. Neptune and Uzume looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Looks like we got some business with your sister.", said Uzume.

"Looks like it."

"We're-a gonna follow now! Be back in a bit!", stated Neptune.

"Have fun."

Neptune and Uzume turned to face the bedroom. Neptune opened her Nep-note. "Wanna go back in the book, Crosty?"

"Do I even have a choice?"

"Not really!"

"Great… I wanna have a chat with ya later, 'kay? When you're free."

"That's fine with me. Just tell me when."

"As long as you're listenin'…" Croire changed back into the butterfly and flew back into the book. Neptune then closed it. Neptune, Uzume and Renna were all in the bedroom, leaving Gil alone in the lounge.

Uzume stretched her arms above herself. "So what's up?"

"It's about my little endeavor today."

"Ooh, cool. What's gonna happen?", inquired Neptune.

"So, remember how I said last night that I've been thinking about getting Gil some gauntlets?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I want to go out to some weapon smiths today and find out if they can do that quickly. Ideally, they'd be the same material as my and his weapons."

"Why, are they, like, super rare or something?", asked Uzume.

"You could say that. I haven't seen anybody else with similar material used for their weapons, so I don't know if it's possible…"

"That'd be pretty freakin' cool though."

Renna looked at Uzume with a happy face. "I know, right?! Just think about it, Uzume! Matching materials, with similar design!"

Neptune decided to also add in on this.

"It'd be super cool! Brother and sister combo, each with weapons made from the same stuff! And the weapons, too! Boots and gauntlets!"

Uzume was getting enticed by these ideas. "Y-Yeah, I suppose… It's like out of one of those shows…"

Neptune joined in. "Yeah, yeah!"

"I wouldn't know, but I'm sure it would be! I just hope that I'll be able to find a place that supplies it…", said Renna.

"I-I'm sure that you will, Rensy. I'm sure that you'll find just the right place!", said Uzume. "I mean, it'd be super freakin' cool! Like, you'd be all matching, and all super amaaazing, and all in sync and whatever!" Uzume had started to imagine what the weapons would look like, and she really wanted to see them side by side.

As such, she had started daydreaming. "So, like, Rensy'll go around the city, and you'll find this super interesting looking place! It'll be super old, and a grumpy old man will be inside! Then, Rensy'll go up to this grumpy old man and start talking to him! Rensy'll ask him if he can make the weapons, and he'll be super-duper up for it! Then, Rensy'll get the weapons, and they'll be super powerful and all cool looking! Rensy'll match up with Gilsy, and both of you will be super cool looking together! It's just in like those TV shows! It's fate! You have to get this weapon! You just have to!"

Neptune and Renna looked at Uzume with awkward faces. They should've figured that something like this would happen…

Neptune rubbed the back of her head. "Ummm… Uzume?"

"You're getting a little… daydreamy…", continued Renna.

Uzume brought herself to her senses and took an awkward face. She thrust her right hand into her left palm a few times while looking away. "Dammit…" She then looked at Neptune and Renna, still holding her awkward face. "B-But I guess that means that it'll happen now, r-right? Haha…ha…"

Renna thought about this. Maybe things would actually work out... "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So the daydream power gets used right after it's mentioned in the story… Hmmmm…", pondered Neptune.

"I-It's not my fault, Nepsy! You know I get all wrapped up in those… f-fantasies! It's your fault!"

"Maybe a little bit, but whatevs."

Renna couldn't help but let out a small giggle. "I think I'll be going now. Don't want to take too long."

Neptune enthusiastically lifted an arm. "I'll come with ya! It's dangerous to go alone, take Nep!"

"Yeah, you can tag along, I don't mind."

Uzume brushed a part of her hair with her hands. "I think I'll just stay here…"

"Keeping Gil company?"

"Yeah."

"...I see. But anyway, we should head out. I don't know how long this'll take, so it's best to start soon."

"Alrighty then! Check ya later, Uzume!", said Neptune.

"Bye Uzume.", said Renna.

"See ya guys."

Neptune and Renna left the bedroom and spoke to Gil while walking towards the door leading out. He was up from the kotatsu, and was leaning down to look at the different consoles and games by the TV. "We're going now, Gil.", stated Renna.

Gil looked at them from his position. "You're both going?"

"Yippy-skippy!", said Neptune.

"Well then I'll be seeing you two later."

"Uh-huh. Bye-bye, Gilly."

"Bye Gil.", said Renna.

"Be safe, you two." They then made their way to the door leading out of the room and left. After a few seconds, Gil resumed his perusing of the games. He took out a few cases and inspected the covers and backs of them. He hadn't played games in years. He thought that it'd be interesting to try some of them out at a later date.

"Watcha lookin' at, Gilsy?"

Gil spun around, seeing that Uzume was leaning against the frame of the sliding door of the bedroom with her arms crossed. "A few of these games."

"Ah, cool. Which ones?"

"There's this kart-racing game, along with this… platformer game, I think it's called. There's also this strategy game with a medieval setting."

"Yeah, Lowee's pretty big on those titles." Uzume walked over to Gil and bent down beside him. "I think I'm more used to these games since they're kinda retro. More my era, ya know?"

"Yes."

"What kinda games do you like, Gilsy?"

"I… don't have any particular favourite. I haven't been able to sit down and play a game for years."

"Well I'd be up for joinin' ya when you decide to try them out."

"I'll keep that in mind." Gil had his hands on a game and put it back in the cabinet under the TV. He then turned his head to Uzume. "So… why did you decide to stay behind?"

Uzume met his eyes and took a curious face. "Well I didn't want to leave ya behind by yourself. It's not that great to be alone."

"Yeah, that is true." Gil continued to look at Uzume while she turned her eyes to the cabinet. "You were all alone back then, weren't you?"

Uzume returned her gaze to Gil and took a slightly sad face. "Yup. I didn't have anybody with me. I didn't even have my memories!"

"That must be terrifying."

"Yeah, and couple that with being greeted by a broken and desolate world, along with vicious monsters and giants bent on destroying the place."

"I… I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"Eh, it's chilled. I had my friends to help me through."

"The group of monsters?"

"Yeah. Some of those monsters back in my group are what you'd see in this world. Except the friendly ones can talk, and they don't fight. They're completely friendly, honest."

"That is very peculiar."

"Definitely. Took some time to get used to it, but it worked out. I was helped along by this particular fishy friend of mine."

"You were friends… with a fish?"

"A floating fish! He has this super serious mug on all the time, but people say that he's got an amazing voice. I just think that he's adorable."

"A fish… being adorable? I'd have to see that."

"I'll show ya one day, after this adventure of ours is done…" Uzume looked towards Gil with hopeful eyes. "You will carry on being with us, right?" Gil didn't really know what to say. He looked down at the floor, thinking this over. "Gilsy?"

Gil looked back up and found that Uzume had placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly. "I'm here. Just thinking."

"And?"

"I am honestly not sure. Myself and my sister do have some… things that we want to do after this. We both feel very strongly about it, and we can't do it without each other. So… I'm not sure."

Uzume knew what he was talking about, and she desperately wanted to confess that she knew their secret. But she knew she couldn't. Not yet. She had to wait for them to be ready. It would be too sudden to suddenly open up about it, and it'd probably cause more harm than good.

It was painful, but she held herself back. "So then… why don't Nepsy and I join you guys afterwards? Can't that happen?"

"I… I don't think that's possible. I don't think that it'd… appeal to you two."

"What is it? What do you guys want to do after this? Go back home?"

"No, that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

Gil didn't reply immediately. He couldn't tell Uzume their secret. These two companions of his were friendly people. Very friendly people. And Uzume was a CPU. A Planeptune CPU from the Hyperdimesion. No doubt they would attempt to stop him and his sister from carrying out their plan.

But… he didn't dislike them. They were his friends. He and his sister hadn't made friends for many, many years. And seeing how happy Renna was when she was around them…

He imagined Renna fighting against them, even though she definitely held Neptune and Uzume close to her. It was an incredibly painful thought. He couldn't tell them. And even if he wanted to, he still couldn't. They didn't need to get involved with this. It was possible that Uzume knew about the smaller Neptune, since she hailed from her nation. If that was the case, then there was no way that he could get them involved with this.

Uzume interrupted his thoughts. "You can tell me, Gilsy. You can tell me anything."

Gil was looking at Uzume during his thoughts. Her face was soft, and didn't show any signs of pressure. He was sure that she meant those words. "…It's really nothing. Myself and my sister are going to do some more specific exploring after this."

"But we can join you for that."

"Don't you have people to return to? Back in the Hyperdimension?"

"I… I guess we do."

"Mm."

"But that doesn't mean that we will have to split up forever, ya know? We can get back together after… you're done." Uzume hoped that that was even a possibility.

Gil looked at her, and gave her a smile. "I'd really like that, Uzume."

Uzume returned the smile. She then patted him on the back and got up. "But there is another reason I stayed behind, and I need your help, since you're available. And if you're up for it."

"Okay, I'll see if I can."

"Cool. Let's sit at the table." Gil got up, and both of them moved a small distance towards the kotatsu. They sat on the sides next to each other. "So hear me out, Gilsy…"

"I'm listening."

"It's nothing major, and it's a very quick request, okay?"

"Okay."

"So I was wondering… If I could practice my power here?"

"You mean your power to send people to a dream world?"

"Y-Yeah… And I was wondering… If I could maybe try it out on you?" Gil was surprised by this, quickly blinking at Uzume. "If that's alright with you…"

"…I'm sorry, Uzume, but I can't."

"O-Oh… That makes sense… It's part of your private life, I understand that…"

"It's not… just that, Uzume."

"…What do you mean?"

Gil gave Uzume a simple smile. "We also just woke up, so I wouldn't be able to fall asleep."

Uzume gave an amused huff, and returned the smile. "Yeah, I shoulda thought about that."

"It's fine." Gil looked at Uzume. She had stayed behind to keep him company, and he was grateful for that. She had asked him two things, and both times, he had refused. He felt bad for doing that to her.

"…What's up, Gilsy? Got something on your mind?"

He had an idea, and he smiled warmly at Uzume, eliciting a curious expression from her. "Why don't we go out into the city together? We can see if there are any ice-cream stores like the one you mentioned."

Uzume was surprised by this. Gil hadn't offered something like this before. Did that mean that he was opening up to them? To her and Neptune? Uzume returned the smile, along with an excited face. "Yeah! We'll find one, you'll see!"

"I have no doubt." They both got up from under the kotatsu and set out to find the ice-cream shop of Uzume's daydreams.

* * *

**Under two hours later, Lowee City:**

Neptune and Renna walked around the city in hopes of finding a weapon shop that matched Uzume's prediction. "So we just have to look out for anything interesting looking and old?", asked Renna.

"Yup. Uzume's dreams always come true so long as it's nothing major. So this should fall under that." They had spent almost two hours searching for it, but hadn't found anything like it yet. "Maybe we should go look at a map…"

"Good idea. Like on a Guild board or something." They walked ahead and eventually spotted a Guild board. There was a list of all the different shops on the side of the map, so they looked at the weapon store section.

Renna perused the list before stopping on a particular shop name. "This one is apparently super high quality stuff… maybe we should go look at that one next?"

"If it's not what we're looking for, we can just come back here."

"Yeah." They strolled across the streets of Lowee. They were in what seemed to be an older, earlier established part of it, as the infrastructure was slightly different. The roofs were more upright on the edges, and they shot out more. The wood used seemed to also be a darker brown, but the colour of the paints matched the rest of the city. "Even in the city, some of the structures look different."

"Yup. I heard that Lowee is the oldest nation that's still up and running, so its architecture must've changed with the times."

"That makes sense. We should look out for any peculiar buildings, 'cus that might be our place."

"Good idea." They continued to walk the streets of the district until they found the place they desired. It looked different, even among the surrounding buildings. The entrance to it was the standard house, similar to those around it. But joined to the back of the house was a large, dark structure that took up a massive perimeter. Neptune pointed towards it. "Maybe that's a forge?"

"Maybe. It'd fit in with how different this area is."

"Mmhmm. Let's take a gander!"

They walked up to the building and entered it. They made sure to take their shoes off before entering. They entered a room that had wooden walls which were painted white. All along them were all sorts of weapons, armour and equipment that were on display, with price tags underneath them. The room itself was quite large and spread out in front of them for a good distance.

At the other end of the room was a large counter that was L-shaped. It extended out from the right corner of the room to the left of it. Sitting at the counter was a monster of a man. He was sitting in a chair while reading a magazine on different vacation spots. He looked to be quite muscular.

Neptune and Renna looked around the store while making their way towards the counter. The man spotted them and put the magazine down on the counter top, waiting for them to get closer.

Renna looked around with her mouth slightly agape. "T-There's so many of them…"

"Woweee, that's a lotta damage. Well, things that can cause it."

In a few seconds, both Neptune and Renna were by the counter, with Renna leaning against it. "Hellooo!"

"Hello there!", greeted Neptune, smiling and waving.

The man, who was already paying attention to them, stood up from his chair. He truly was a monster of a man. He easily towered over them, with both Neptune and Renna just barely rising above his shoulders. Said shoulders were wide, and they were built as if he tussled with dragons for a hobby. His neck muscles that joined to his shoulders were nicely shaped, and you could tell that they were strong.

His abdomen was wide as well, but he was by no means fat. It got thinner as it reached towards his legs. His legs were massive as well, in tune with his bulking frame. He could probably break a wall or four if he tried. He wore a plain, black V-neck shirt that was lined with dark green. There were also green stripes on the sides of the shirt. He had a blacksmiths coat over his shoulder, and it looked to be well used. It had a pouch at the end of it.

His pants were long and thick, probably to protect him during his work. They were light brown with many large pockets and pouches on them. He had a few small screwdrivers and accompanying utensils in some of them. Covering his hands were brown biker gloves. Since his sleeves were short, you could see most of his arms. His skin was wrought with scars. This was apparent on his neck as well, although there were only a few there. His face held none.

He had slightly curly black hair that reached to his shoulders. It looked well kept. His eyes were yellow, and they glowed in the light while he stood up straight with his arms crossed. "Welcome to my shop. What can I do for you two? He had a deep voice.

"Nothin' much, just wondering if you guys take any requests?", asked Renna, turning her eyebrows upwards.

"We do, but depending on what you want, the prices will vary." He spoke like a man who had been doing his job for many, many years.

"Oh, goody. You been doing this for a while?", asked Neptune.

"I've worked at the forge for most of my life. But it looks like you want to commission something, so get on with it."

Neptune leaned in closer to Renna. "He must've dealt with plenty of people in his life, so it makes sense that he's a bit impatient."

Renna nodded. "Okay, I'll give you the details now. Neptune, you go look around the shop. I might be a while."

Neptune saluted before she turned around. "Okay! Just call me if you need me!" She went meandering around the shop, looking at anything that caught her eyes.

Renna thought to herself. "He's probably tired of all the newbie adventurers that come to his shop all the time. This place looks pretty busy with all the weapons on the wall. Must've caught it at a good time. I just hope that he has the materials."

The man's fingers tapped on his arm impatiently. "You got a request or not, lady?"

"Yup! But first… what's your name?" Renna was smiling at him with a friendly face.

"Why do you wanna know?"

"Well, it's good to build a good relationship between customers, isn't it? I'm trying to help you here!" She still had a friendly face.

The man huffed at this, but complied. "The name's Dusty."

"Dusty?"

"Yeah."

"What's it mean?"

"Why do you care?"

"I'm trying to get to know you! Besides, with my request…" Renna smiled widely at the man. "…We might be working together for a while."

Dusty raised an eyebrow at this, but entertained Renna. "It's an old name. It's meaning's changed over the years, but mine was given to me with the meaning "stone"."

"Ahh, that fits you! You look as solid as one!"

Dusty rolled his eyes at this. "Comes with the job. Now, let's see if you can back that claim of yours."

"Whatcha mean?"

"You said we'd be working for a while. So either that means that you got a lot of requests, or you got some pretty high quality materials you're looking to make something out of. Am I wrong?"

"Nope!"

"See. I get so many requests from young adventurers asking me to make 'em some amazing weapons, but they have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to actually making the damn things. Let's see if you're any different."

Renna gave him a wide, knowing smile. "I hope you have the materials."

Dusty furrowed his brows at that statement. "There's no material that I haven't made things out of before, missy. I can tell you that."

"Even super old ones?"

"Especially super old ones."

Renna still held her smile, and even tilted her head to the left. "Even, let's say, a few couple of thousand years ago old?"

Dusty became slightly more intrigued at this. He uncrossed his arms and leaned against the counter top. "I'm the only one in town that deals with those sorta materials, lady. So you can bet that I have."

"How about a few thousand more years after what I've already said?"

Dusty was even more intrigued now. Normally the young one's would make up some grandiose tale about them wanting the oldest and best material that he had in order to become the world's greatest adventurer, but none of them had the cash to back it up. A few of them used somewhat old materials, but that was about it. This girl, though… she was adamant about it. Why did she seem so sure about what she was asking?

And she even had doubts about whether or not he would have the material. This combination of events had never happened before, at least no times that he could remember. And he had a good memory. The only people that could make requests for equipment made out of even a few thousand year old materials were experienced and certified the only people that could get equipment made out of materials even older than that were either the Goddesses themselves, or the military.

This girl looked to be neither, yet she was making such a request. Or at least, she was hyping herself up to make it. Dusty was very intrigued.

"What is your name, girl?"

"Me? My name's Renna!"

"Well, Renna, I hope that you're not feeding me false hope. Go on. Tell me what you want."

"Gladly! So, just to make sure that you have the materials, I'm gonna show you an example of some things made out of them, if that's alright with you?"

"Fine with me. But I assure you, girl, I have the materials, whatever they are."

Renna kept her smile. "Alright."

She summoned her boots into her hands and placed them onto the counter top. The grey metal reflected some of the light, and the cyan lines and dots glowed by themselves.

Dusty looked at them for a few seconds with mild interest, as he didn't often see boots being used as weapons. The sharp ends of the foot, and the similarly shaped arrow like parts that would extend up the leg looked well made… In fact, they were masterfully crafted…

He gave the pair of boots his undivided attention and picked each of them up separately. He inspected every inch of the boots. All of the inlays, the huge attention to slight details that made plenty of difference, and the smooth texture of the metal. He held one of the boots up to himself and looked at it even more.

For the first time in years, Dusty was genuinely and wholly invested in a weapon that he had not made. He gave his all to all of the weapons he made, no matter how small they might be. But these things… They were a work of art. His mouth was slightly agape, and he even gave an amused huff. "In all my years… I never thought that I'd see such a thing."

"That's not all…" Renna summoned her dual blades into her hands and placed them onto the counter top. Similar to before, Dusty inspected each nook and cranny of them, one at a time. The grey colour, the cyan lines running up the blade that separated the different sections of the sword, the cyan inlays, the cyan blade that practically glowed.

Again, all the attention to detail, all the different segments, and the smooth texture. It was made out of the same material as the boots, and with the same meticulous level of design. Only a master craftsman could construct such a thing. Each of them looked like very advanced, top of the line weapons, but even he had never seen such a pair of weapons before.

"And this one is slightly shorter than the other one by design?", asked Dusty.

"Yup! I use that in my right hand!"

"Amazing… it might be that you weren't all talk."

"And that's not all! Give here." Dusty handed back the dual blades. "Watch this." Renna held the blades apart and joined them together to form a twinblade. Dusty took them and inspected them again. "Pretty cool, right?"

"This… is astounding… And that material…"

"I wasn't lying when I said it was even older than a few thousand years, ya know?"

"How… how did you get these?"

"That's a secret!", teased Renna. She took her weapons back, willing them away. "So… do you have the materials or not?" Dusty was still in awe of what he had just witnessed. Renna lifted her hand to wave in front of his face. "Umm, hello? Dusty?"

"Yes, yes, I have the materials. They're among the highest quality… No, they might just be the highest quality materials I have."

"Oh, thank goodness! I don't know what I would've done if you didn't…"

"I would love to make something out of this material, but are you sure you have the money? This isn't cheap, even though almost nobody uses this metal. It is very, very high quality."

"Don't worry, I got that covered. Got plenty of credits on me."

Dusty narrowed his eyes. This girl… She really was intriguing. "Wonderful. So, what would you like to make?" His eyes were full of intrigue, and he had a determined smile. He hadn't felt like this in ages.

"I want you to make me… a pair of gauntlets."

"Gauntlets?"

"Yup! I want them to be the brother weapons to my boots!"

"The brother weapons… Do you mean similar in design?"

"Yup!"

Dusty reached under the counter and pulled out a device. He pressed a button on it, causing a holographic screen to show up. "I can use this to model the gauntlets. Tell me everything." They then set to work at the pair of gauntlets. They were identical, so only one had to be designed, and then mirrored.

They were grey, like Renna's boots. They would extend up the arm and stop by the elbow. They each had two cyan lines on the top side of the arm and under the arm that ran from the elbow to the wrist. The top side of the knuckles had cyan lines running down the fingers until they all met at a cyan circle in the center of the hand. The fingers were segmented for each knuckle, and the tips of the segments were sharp. When the fingers were bent, a cyan material could be seen under each segment by the knuckles.

The palm was completely grey, save the base of each finger. At each knuckle was an arrowhead-like shape. The part of the gauntlet that reached out towards the elbow formed an arrow shape like Renna's boots. The arrow head reached towards his elbow and formed around it without extending past it. There were cyan dots lining the lines reaching up the arms. It would supply the wearer with full movement and not hamper any sort of movement in the slightest. Renna made sure that it would fit Gil perfectly.

They were perfect. At some point during the planning, Neptune joined Renna and Dusty. She didn't say anything, as she wanted to watch the two work at it. Dusty knew the ins and outs of every single measurement that Renna mentioned. He designed it in a way that Renna approved on, and only stopped once Renna said that it was perfect. And although Renna wasn't experienced with forging at all, the way she described each part was very specific but easy to understand.

After a good portion of an hour, Renna and Dusty were done with the planning. "Whew… I'm glad that I did this.", said Renna, in a satisfied tone.

"This is going to be perfect. It'll match your weapons quality. I can assure you, I'll make it as good as those beauties."

"Awesome."

"And how long are they gonna take to forge?", asked Neptune.

Dusty brought a hand to his chin, thinking. "I'm quite the quick worker if I do say so myself, but this is very specific and of an immaculately high quality. Even with my most advanced machinery, I'd say that it'd take a few days."

Renna looked surprised "Huh. I thought that it'd take longer."

Neptune shrugged. "Ah, you know, we can't have the readers waiting for too long!"

"I have every specific detail down. I'll work on this as much as I can over the next couple of days. You can visit me whenever you want to see the progress.", offered Dusty.

"Cool! So… even tomorrow?", asked Renna.

"Even tomorrow."

"Alright, alright. And I'll probably chat to you a bit, just so you know."

"Of course… distracting me from my work."

"Hey! You offered!"

Dusty didn't laugh, but he definitely looked amused. "I wouldn't mind that. Good to talk to someone that has high quality weapons. I'd like to find out where you got those from."

"I said that's a secret!", said Renna.

"And a lady never reveals her secrets!", added Neptune.

Dusty narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that." He got up from the counter and walked out of it. "But I've gotta get started on these masterpieces. So you two should get going."

"Alright then. Bye, Dusty! I'll see you some other time!", said Renna.

Neptune gave a wave. "Bye-bye, Duster!"

"Get going to wherever you two need to be."

Neptune and Renna turned to face the entrance and made their way out of it. The sun was still high, if not lowering slightly. There were many clouds spread out across it, but it didn't look like it was going to rain. Neptune put her hands behind her head. "So what's next?"

"I think that we should just go exploring the city. See all the sights and attractions!"

"I am super down for that. We should go get, like, a tourists guide to Lowee or something!"

"Good plan." They then set off down the streets of Lowee at a brisk pace.

* * *

**In a different section of Lowee City:**

"Ahh… that was delicious!", said Uzume.

"I know you said that it would happen, but for us to actually find such a convenient place…"

"I told ya so! I can make dreams into reality!"

"That does seem to be true."

"Heh, yeah."

Both Uzume and Gil had eaten vanilla ice-cream with chocolate sauce, along with a chocolate flake and sprinkles on it. Uzume chose it, and Gil decided to have the same. Uzume leaned forward onto the table. "What are your dreams, Gilsy?"

They were sitting at a circular glass. The table was not very large, so they were close to each other. There was no umbrella to cover them, but that wasn't really a problem. Their seats were standard, wooden chairs with soft material for the base and backrest. Uzume was sitting across from Gil and had placed her right elbow onto the table. She placed her chin into the palm of her right hand to support her head and had a slight tilt to her head. She also brandished a kind, happy face.

Gil leaned back in his chair, and took a thoughtful face. "I mean, besides wanting to do whatever it is after this adventure.", clarified Uzume.

"I… actually don't know. I haven't given it much thought."

"Oh come on, Gilsy! You can't go through life with only one goal in mind!"

"I know, but I haven't had any other goals to think of."

"Well how about I help ya out?" Uzume leaned in with both arms so that her top half was slightly leaning over the table.

"Sure, if you want."

"Okay, so… where to start? They don't have to be major goals, ya know?"

"I'll… try to think of some."

"How about this? Catch up with some of the games you've missed out on? Even if it's only the mainstream games!"

"I… could do that. But that's so… underwhelming. What does it actually accomplish?"

"I just said that not all goals have to be major, Gilsy…"

"But playing videogames?"

"It's not about the playing the games, it's about spending time enjoying the smaller things in life. Just playing them to enjoy it."

"I guess… Yeah, that could be a goal, however small."

"Gilsy…"

"Sorry, sorry…"

"Cool. So… what's next?"

"Hmmm…"

"Anything that you picked up from your sister?"

"I guess. She has always been fond of animals and pretty plants, so I have picked up on that a bit."

"So they interest you?"

"No more than they interest my sister. I can't see myself expanding upon it."

"That's fair."

"Yeah. And Uzume, I think that I'll stick with the videogames thing for now."

"Fine, if you say so."

"Thank you for helping me, though."

"It's not a problem."

Gil waited a few seconds. "Uzume, can I ask you a personal question?"

Uzume was caught off guard by Gil asking that. "U-Uh, y-yeah, sure…"

"What is it like when you're in your Goddess form?"

"Oh, it's just that… Whew…"

"Were you worried?"

"A-A little! I don't really know what you're going to ask!"

"I'm not Neptune, Uzume…"

"S-Still…"

"So what does it feel like when you're transformed? In terms of personality?"

Uzume took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. "Before we begin, I want you to promise me something."

"…Okay?"

"If I start… daydreaming or whatever, please actually stop me!"

"I-I'll see what I can do."

"Alright. Alright… So, it feels… Honestly, it feels relieving. I feel like I can act however I want without caring about what others think of me. I feel super confident in that department."

"I haven't actually seen your Goddess form, Uzume. Do you act like… that?"

"Y-Yes, I act like when I daydream and stuff, only it's all the time."

"I see."

"I feel like that's as best that I can describe it."

"Okay then." Uzume then looked down at the table and her mouth thinned out. She looked at the top of Gil's pants, where the accessories were. She could see the turquoise crescent moon, along with her black accessory. This made her smile warmly.

"Uzume?"

"Wha-What?!"

"What are you doing?"

"I-I was just… looking at the accessories on your pants."

Gil smiled and reached down to them. He unclipped both chains, and brought them onto the table. "Do you want a closer look?"

"If that's fine…" Uzume reached out to the one with the moon on it. "So… Renna got this for you?"

"Yes. It was a gift from her."

"That's so nice. It looks well made."

"She made sure it was."

"And did you get her anything in return?"

"She actually got me that in return for what I got her."

"O-Oh… You mean her necklace?"

Gil smiled. "Yes."

"It looks very important to her."

"It's important to the both of us."

"How'd you get the gem for that? It's so pretty…"

Gil looked around before answering. "I… found it somewhere. It's… quite rare."

"What is it made of?"

"I'm… not really sure."

"Figures…"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault."

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Uzume waited a bit, then spoke. "You know, Gilsy…"

"Yes?"

"Nepsy and Rensy haven't put my accessories on yet…"

Gil blinked at her a few times before smiling again. "I suppose that that is true. We should remind them when they get home."

"Y-Yeah, but that's not what I'm getting at…"

Gil was curious as to what Uzume meant. "And what are you getting at?"

"…Well, you put the accessory on as soon as you got it."

"I would've had to have gotten a chain if Renna hadn't got me one."

"Y-Yeah, but that's not the point! You still did it immediately, a-and I'm guessing you would've gone all the way back to that clothes shop for a chain, right?"

"…Yes."

"See? That's still quick… And that means a lot."

"Well of course it did. Nobody makes things for other people if… they're not close to them."

"And you genuinely appreciated it! You didn't tease me about how… cutesy it was…"

"Why would I? It was a gift."

Uzume let out an amused huff. "Ya know, Gilsy, you have no idea how nice it is to hear that." She paused for a moment, scratching her cheek. "I really do appreciate that. A-And I'm glad that you liked it so much. I-I don't really know how to properly put it into words, but I think what I'm trying to say is… Thank you… For everything."

They stared at each other for a few seconds. Uzume had a slight blush on, her eyebrows were upturned, and she had a small smile. Gil then nodded at her with a friendly face. "A-And that also counts for today… ya know, inviting me out on this outing with ya."

"I did feel bad for not being able to give you what you wanted when you asked me those two requests, so I thought that it'd be nice to do."

"Huh."

"So this is to make up for that."

"And only that?"

"…I wouldn't say so. It's also nice to go out like this, together."

"Glad to hear it."

Gil reached out and took the one chain on the table while Uzume held out the other one for him. He clipped both back into place and stood up. "I think that we should get going now. The sun is starting to set."

"Okay!", replied Uzume, also getting up.

They then walked through the streets together, heading back to their hotel.

* * *

**Back at the hotel:**

It had been a few hours since both pairs had gotten back. The sun was showing its final rays before taking cover behind the horizon. The group was once again under the kotatsu in the same formation as the start of the day.

"So was your little trip successful?", asked Uzume.

Neptune enthusiastically thumbed up. "Yup! We set up everything we needed!"

"And I'm going to have to revisit that place over the next few days to monitor the progress.", said Renna. She looked towards Gil. "And no following me, Gil!"

"I'm not a stalker…"

Neptune leaned forward onto the kotatsu. "And how about you two? What did you guys do?"

Uzume looked away before answering. "O-Oh, nothing much… Gil and I went out to an ice-cream shop."

"…Her prophecy really did come true.", added Gil. Everyone let out a short, amused giggle.

Neptune looked at Gil teasingly. "So you went out with Uzume, Gilly?" She was also wiggling her eyebrows.

Gil looked at her with half-lidded eyes and Uzume looked like she was about to kick Neptune. "I offered to take her out with me, yes. As a sort of repayment for not being able to properly answer her requests."

Neptune looked intrigued. "Ooooh, how chivalrous of you, Gilly! So you guys didn't, like… do anything else?"

"Knock it off, Nepsy." Uzume kicked Neptune from under the covers.

"I tease, I tease! Promise!"

Renna, in the meantime, was looking at Uzume intensely. None of the others noticed it since Neptune and Uzume were too busy with their little quarrel. She was almost... glaring. She stopped once everyone had calmed down, returning to her normal expression.

Neptune put a hand under her chin. "What else is there…"

"I have something.", said Gil.

Neptune raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

Renna smiled at her brother. "What's up, Gil?"

Gil looked at Neptune and Renna. "You two haven't put on Uzume's accessories yet."

Neptune bonked the side of her head with a hand. "Oh, shoot, that's right!"

"T-That's right… Now I feel bad…", said Renna, looking down.

"I-It's okay, you two! We travelled here right after I collected them, so it makes sense to kinda get swept up in all of our travelling!", said Uzume.

"I still feel bad…", said Neptune.

"Same…", added Neptune.

Uzume summoned the small, black box into her hands, and pulled out both remaining accessories from it. "H-Here… You guys can do it now…"

Neptune and Renna both took their pieces. Neptune thought for a while. "Hmmmm… Oh, I know! I know exactly where I'll put this!" She got up from the kotatsu and stood up. She then reached towards her left thigh, where there were two straps that held her Nep-note. The top strap had a black D-pad. She reached to the lower one and clipped Uzume's accessory over it. "You see! Perfect! An accessory for each strap."

"T-That is actually a pretty good place to put it…", said Uzume.

Renna took a bit longer to think this over. She looked up and darted her head towards Gil. She pointed at her necklace. Gil realized what she meant and nodded in response. Renna then clipped Uzume's accessory onto the chain of her necklace. It rested on the left of the glowing gem, but they didn't touch. "There! Perfect!"

"It really is…", commented Neptune.

"Y-Yeah… It's nice…", muttered Uzume.

Time passed them by while they spent the rest of the afternoon talking and relaxing. Neptune and Uzume played some games while Renna and Gil watched them. They all had a simple supper consisting of sushi and ramen, which everyone approved of. Uzume had procured these during the trip back from her and Gil's outing, as she thought that it was appropriate to Lowee.

Eventually, it was time for bed. They all got dressed in a similar way to the previous night. The girls in the bedroom, and Gil in the bathroom. They were all gathered in the bedroom when Neptune had an idea. "How about… we move the mattresses into the lounge and we place them by the kotatsu?"

"You're obsessed with that thing…", commented Uzume.

They all went with the plan. After a few minutes of setting up, all of the mattresses were at their respective sides. Everyone took the same side that they had previously.

"This works out really nicely…", said Renna. "It's not cramped at all."

"Ya see! I told you it'd work!"

Uzume sighed. "Yeah, yeah…"

"I'm glad that it did.", said Gil.

They spoke for a while longer. After that, they were all in agreement that it was bedtime. They all lied down in their mattresses with their feet under the kotatsu.

"And no footsies!", said Neptune, just before she turned the light off. They lied down in their positions, listening to the city's sounds.

"On second thought, maybe we should have our heads closer to the kotatsu…", said Neptune.

"Yeah. We feel way too far apart like this.", said Uzume.

"I was thinking that too.", added Renna.

"Me too.", said Gil.

"It's flip around time, everyone!", said Neptune.

And so, they all flipped around, with their heads near to the kotatsu edge. They were all satisfied with this. They all said their goodnights and eventually drifted off into their own dream worlds.

This was a much better set up.

* * *

**Finished. Great! I hope it was enjoyable to read!**

**I really do strive to portray the character's interactions with each other as best I can. I really do, so any feedback on that is appreciated.**

**And just any feedback in general! Reviews, opinions, thoughts, whatever it is!**

**But yeah, that's all for this chapter!**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you've enjoyed this as much as I've enjoyed making it!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	17. A Simple (re)Quest

**Hello again! Yes, it's me, I'm back.**

**And I'm sorry again. It's almost been three weeks. So very, very late.**

**BUT there is some pretty nifty stuff this time around, if I do say so myself. ****Some very interesting stuff, really. You'll see…**

**Have fun!**

* * *

**Chapter 16:**

It was around nine o' clock in Planeptune, and the city was going about its ways. People were walking around, moving from point A to point B, going on with their everyday lives.

It wasn't so different in the Basilicom of Planeptower. In a separate room near the living quarters of the Goddesses, Nepgear was working away at her workbench. Tools littered the table, along with some items that were taken from various pieces of machinery. "And then this goes here…" She was working on a piece of machinery. It was triangular, but slim. It looked similar to a spear head. The body of it was silvery white, and there was a pink line running across the middle of it. The line didn't run across the back of it.

"And… done…" Nepgear lifted up her creation. It was sleek and small. Nepgear created this equipment to aid her in battle. It could shoot lasers out of the front of it, where the device formed at a point. It wouldn't be the only one, since Nepgear would eventually create multiple of them to float around her. With many of them, they would also be able to create a forcefield partially around Nepgear. "Maybe… six of them?" Nepgear put the device down. She hadn't come up with a name for it yet.

Nepgear smiled and put her hands together. "That's enough for now. I have things to do today!" She left the room and walked over to the living quarters. It wasn't very far away, but it was out of earshot so that nobody could hear any machinery working away. She was greeted by Histoire as she entered the living room of the living space.

"Hello, Nepgear. Were you working on another invention?"

"Yes. I'm making some floating devices that shoot out some lasers!"

"Ahhh, and you're going to use them in combat?"

"Yes. They'll float around me when I deploy them."

"Sounds very useful. You're making a lot of progress with your general training as well, Nepgear. You're putting in a lot of effort, and I congratulate you."

Nepgear brought a hand to her chest. "T-Thank you, Histoire. But I'm sure that everyone is making a great effort to get stronger."

"Even Neptune?", asked Histoire, in a questioning tone.

"Y-Yes! I think… She trains with the other Goddesses sometimes…"

"I certainly hope so. And not just messing around at their nations."

"I… wouldn't know…", said Nepgear, nervously.

Histoire gave out a sigh in response.

"Oh, that's right! Histoire, I have a request to make."

"Yes, Nepgear? What is it?"

Nepgear took out her N-Gear before talking and held it with both hands. "If it's okay, could I go do some quests… with the other Candidates?"

"I don't see why that would be a major issue, so it should be fine. What area are you going to?"

"To the North of Planeptune. It's not too far, but I think we'll be out for a while."

"Please don't take too long. Neptune doesn't do any work, so I have to rely upon you. I am sorry about that."

"Goodness, don't worry about it Histoire! I'll be sure to be back at a reasonable time."

"Thank you. I wish you good luck."

"Thank you! Goodbye." Nepgear then put her N-Gear back in its holster. She turned to leave and opened the door, but stopped herself. "Oh, right. Do you know where my sister is?"

Histoire put a finger to her cheek. "I… think she's doing some quests in Lowee. She didn't tell me anything specific."

"Okay, I just wanted to know. I'll be leaving now."

"Goodbye Nepgear."

Nepgear shut the door behind herself and walked towards the elevator. She pressed a button, and the door slid open. She positioned herself in the left corner of the elevator and took out her N-Gear again while she was descending. She pressed a few buttons on it and had eventually started a group video call with Uni, Rom and Ram. They just had to pick up. In rapid succession, Uni, then both Rom and Ram, were in the call.

"Hi Nepgear! Hi Uni!", greeted Ram. She could be seen with a wide smile that showed off her teeth.

"Hello Nepgear, Uni…", greeted Rom. She had a small smile.

"Yeah, hey all of you.", said Uni. She had on a small smirk.

"Hello to you all! It's good to see you all again!", said Nepgear.

"Yeah, yeah, but what's with the sudden call? And a group one, at that.", inquired Uni.

Ram smiled excitedly at the screen. "Are you going to ask us to go out or something?!"

"Yes, I wanted to ask if you could all join me in a quest or two…"

Rom nodded."I want to…"

Ram also nodded. "Same!"

"I… Well, I don't think that I have anything urgent to do, so I suppose that I could come with.", said Uni.

"That was surprisingly easy…", muttered Nepgear.

Uni narrowed her eyes. "What was that?"

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"

"Hmph. Where are we meeting you?"

"Near a factory to the North of Planeptune. We've been there before."

"Is it the one dungeon near that big castle place?! With the huuuuuge lake and stuff?!", asked Ram.

"Yes, Ram, well done for remembering."

"I'm so smart!"

"So smart…", said Rom.

"Alright, alright, can we get going then?", asked Uni.

"Yes, we can! I'll see you all there." They all said goodbye, and Nepgear cut the video call. She leaned back into the corner of the elevator and hummed to herself while smiling. "Today is going be fun." But... what was this feeling? Nepgear knew that she worried a lot, and the others did tell her that. She worried about all the small things and about all the dangerous situations. She couldn't help it, as that was just in her nature.

But this… was different. It wasn't the sort of worrying that someone would go through when meeting with people or when going out with people. It wasn't even the type of worrying that Nepgear felt when taking on a quest or facing a high level monster. It felt like when she and the others had faced a dire situation before…

Something that threatened the world, and with it, her friends, family, and everyone residing in it. And she had felt that many times over the past few days, although it had died down after their last encounter with Renna and Gil. So… Why now? Why would it come back now?

Nepgear's smile faltered, but she brought it back with renewed vigor. "Today is going to be a good day, and nothing is going to go bad! Nothing bad!" The elevator made a ding sound and Nepgear was brought back to her senses. She walked out of the elevator and walked towards the Basilicom entrance.

She exited and walked for a few moments. She looked at the city around her. Nothing was out of the ordinary. People were going about their ways as if nothing had changed. Nepgear would like it if it would stay this way. She engaged HDD and flew off towards her destination.

* * *

**Darkness 60, half an hour later:**

Nepgear had arrived at the dungeon, and she decided to wait outside. She visited the Guild on the way to pick up the request that she had in mind. "Goodness…" Nepgear looked at the factory with upturned eyebrows. It was large, but inside, the path was straightforward. The path led forward into the dungeon and then into a right. From there, it would continue on a bit and turn left. It continued forward and… that was it. It wasn't very complicated.

The exterior was grey, with large chimney-like parts jutting out the top of it. It wasn't in use anymore, obviously, so no smoke left the chimneys. "With a name like that… Goodness…" Nepgear waited by the entrance to the large factory. It was a large square door made out of metal. They'd visited this particular dungeon before, but it was just for the usual quest clearing. Clear out some monsters, fetch some material or ingredients. And today wasn't much different.

Nepgear looked up towards the sky and spotted a flash heading towards her. From the looks of things… it was Uni. Nepgear got up from her leaning position and gave Uni a wide smile along with a hearty wave. "Uni! Over here, Uni!"

Uni looked down towards the noise and spotted Nepgear. She let out a small smirk and rushed towards the ground at high speed. Just before Uni reached the ground, she slowed down and placed her feet on the ground, where she disengaged her HDD. She was a small distance away from Nepgear. Uni retained her small smirk. "Hey, Nepgear." She placed her right hand to her hip.

"Hi Uni!" Nepgear rushed towards Uni at a brisk pace.

Uni retained her stance as Nepgear approached her. She noted that Nepgear wasn't really slowing down. Uni's eyebrows started to quiver with worry. Why wasn't she slowing down? She saw that Nepgear also looked to be quite happy. "Uhhh… Nepgear? W-What're you doing?"

"Hehehe… Nothing!", said Nepgear, as she threw her arms out.

Uni saw this and took a flustered face. Nepgear was approaching her at high speeds. Uni sidestepped Nepgear, who brought her arms to herself as she was right in front of Uni. Nepgear kept running, and she almost stumbled due to the unexpected lack of contact.

"Did you really just try to hug me while running at me?!"

Nepgear, being not too far away from Uni, turned to Uni with her hands clasped together. "Well… Yes." She smiled at Uni.

Uni gave Nepgear a half-lidded stare, blinking while doing so. "Why? That's not like you at all."

"Well I wanted today to be good, so I'm trying to stay positive! Yes, positivity!"Nepgear brought her fists into balls while raising them near her chest.

"…Seriously? You don't have to force it so much. It's very weird."

"I-Is it really that offputting?"

"Kinda, yeah."

"I'm sorry…"

"Hey, hey! Don't get all mopey instead! Just act normal, geez."

"T-That is probably better, yes."

They both walked towards the door and waited next to each other, looking out towards the sky. Uni leaned against the large doors. "You're worried again, aren't you?"

"Wha?! No I'm not, why would I be worried when there's nothing to be worried about? No, not at all!"

"It's written all over your face Nepgear, so quit the act already."

"Alright, fine. Yes, I've been worrying lately…"

"Like when you told me the other night?"

"Y-Yes, like that. It went away, but… it looks like it's back."

"Great, so you're gonna predict another bad event or what?", asked Uni, in a slightly joking tone.

"I really hope not… After last time, I don't think I'd want something like that happening again."

"Yeah, that would be bad."

Nepgear was going to continue, but saw two lights heading towards her. It was Rom and Ram. "We can continue later, maybe?"

"Sure."

Nepgear waved at both Lowee Candidates while Uni crossed her arms and waited. The twins spotted the both of them and flew down towards the ground. They landed and transformed.

Ram bounced on her feet. "Hiya!"

Rom gave a small wave. "Hello..!"

Each of the twins hugged Nepgear and Uni, and they all stood in front of the door. "So what's the plan?! We're gonna go beat some stuff up?!", asked Ram. She had a determined look on her face.

"Or collect items..?", added Rom. She also looked determined, but calmer than her twin sister.

"We're simply going to clear out the monsters while making our way to the end of the dungeon.", answered Nepgear.

"Simple enough.", added Uni.

Ram looked to her sister. "It's time to show off all the stuff we've learnt, Rom!"

"Yeah! So exciting!"

Nepgear looked at them with a caring face. "I'm sure that you two have progressed a ton. You can show us your stuff on the first group of enemies, alright?"

"Alright!"

"Okay..!"

"Which reminds me…", started Nepgear. "Uni?"

"Yeah? What's up?"

"How are you finding that knife?"

Ram looked excited. "Ooooh, Uni's got a knife! Like a thief!"

"A sneaky thief..!"

Uni sighed. "Yeah, it's doing good. I think I got the hang of it, along with using a pistol at the same time."

"That's great to hear."

"But… It feels off when I'm fighting close combat…"

"What do you mean?"

Uni fidgeted around a bit. "I-I dunno… It's like… I haven't fought in close combat a lot. I still need to get used to positioning myself correctly."

"That'll come with time, but I'm sure it won't take too long for you. I could train with you to get used to it, maybe?"

"M-Maybe… Yeah, maybe. I… don't always have the opportunity to train with my sister."

Nepgear nodded in an understanding way. "Me too. It's not often that I go on quests with her, either."

Uni looked away from Nepgear. "S-Same…"

Nepger nodded again and got ready to start. "Okay, here we go." She placed her hands to a terminal on the side of the door and it slid open.

They all entered the dungeon. The floor was covered with grass, and plants covered parts of the walls, the ceilings, and the large, greeny windows. "Nature really does take over once everybody clears out, huh?", observed Uni.

"Yes. And the monsters don't seem to mind it one bit.", replied Nepgear.

Ram and Rom looked around with open mouths. "It's so… nature-y."

"They're… all over the place…"

They walked through the first part of the factory, which had no monsters along the way. As they reached the right turn, they spotted the first group ahead of them. It was a group of four enemies, each of which being Pixelvaders. They were small, green, and had yellow antennae. They looked like they belonged in a retro game.

Uni put a hand to her hips while looking at the twins. "So which one of you are first?"

Ram and Rom turned to each other. "Do you wanna go, Rom? I don't mind."

"No, it's okay… I wanna see what you're going to do…"

"Okay then, prepare to be amazed!" Ram turned to Nepgear and Uni with a smug face, thrusting her left arm into the air. "I'm first!"

"Alright, just be sure to show us your new moves.", said Uni.

"And good luck! I'm sure you'll be amazing!", said Nepgear.

Ram smiled widely at them and then faced her opponents. "I already know that!" She transformed into her Goddess form and floated slightly above the ground. "I'll show you that I can do things myself!" She shouted as she brandished another smug smile. Ram rushed towards the enemies. She had her staff in her left hand. She held her left arm behind her just before she reached the enemies while smirking.

At the tip of her staff, ice started to quickly form into a weapon. It created a standard straight sword, except for it being made out of ice, and shone in the light. She swung from her left to her right, knocking a Pixelvader back. Ram stumbled a bit after completing her swing. Ram wasn't very experienced with melee weapons yet, and she still had much to learn. This didn't stop her from getting annoyed.

She swung from right to left and caught a jumping Pixelvader. It was deeper this time, and more precise. As such, the enemy disappeared. Ram spotted another Pixelvader rushing at her and could not bring her weapon back in time. Instead, she formed a small ice shield on her right forearm and held it in front of her.

The Pixelvader collided with it and kept advancing forward, pushing Ram back. Ram pushed back with her shield and threw the Pixelvader into the air. As she did this, she made a spiked ball and chain connected to her staff. She swung it around her head twice before throwing the ball at the Pixelvader, shooting straight through the enemy. The Pixelvader that Ram had previously swung at with her sword was advancing on her while she was still dealing with the previous Pixelvader.

Ram formed a massive greatsword out of her staff and simply let gravity bring the weapon down onto the next enemy, flattening it. Ram made the greatsword disappear, and looked at her friends. She smiled widely at them, and they pointed to behind Ram. Ram suddenly felt a sudden push from behind, and she fell forward onto her stomach. She lifted herself and looked behind her.

There was still one more enemy left. Ram furrowed her eyebrows, and she looked angry. She jumped up and over the Pixelvader, landing behind it. She knocked the enemy over with her shield and stepped on it. She pinned it down and spun her staff to face it.

Nepgear noted that Ram looked quite disgusted, and also irritated.

Ram formed a small, needle like blade at the end of the staff, and pulled it back. "Don't touch me." She thrust downwards and pierced through the final Pixelvader. It disappeared, and Ram made the blade disappear. She stayed looking at the spot for a second before facing her friends with her usual face. She floated towards them and disengaged her HDD. "So how'd I do? Pretty amazing, right?"

Rom was clapping. "You were so coooool..!"

"Hehe, thanks Rom."

"Pretty versatile technique you came up with. You have a long way to go, though.", said Uni.

Ram looked disappointed, opening her mouth and closing in a few times to speak before she did. "I-I know, but I just started! Didn't I do good for a beginner?"

"You did amazing, Ram.", said Nepgear. "You've warmed up to this style quickly, so don't be worried."

Uni continued with her criticism. "You should be more careful though. We don't need you endangering yourself for no reason."

Nepgear looked to Uni with upturned brows. "Don't be so harsh, Uni…"

"I-I wasn't being harsh! It's… realistic… I wouldn't really want to see her get hurt, so I have to say something!"

Ram nodded to herself a few times and then looked back up. "I'll keep improving. You'll see!"

Nepgear nodded at her. "I know you will!"

After a few seconds, Rom walked forward. "I…I'm next!"

Nepgear and Uni looked to one another, shrugging. All four of them kept traversing the dungeon. All the while, it looked like Ram was in deep thought, and she was moving her hands around. She was thinking about how she could improve.

After a short period of time, the next group of enemies became visible. It consisted of four ghost-like creatures dubbed "Clyde". They were a pale yellow colour, and had two, large eyes that resembled googly eyes. Rom started walking towards the enemies. "I'm going to… go."

Ram cupped her hands and shouted. "Good luck, Rom! You're going to do great!"

"You got this.", added Uni.

"We're here for you if you need us.", offered Nepgear.

Rom turned to them and offered them all a kind smile. "Thank you." She faced forward and transformed.

Once transformed, Rom didn't summon her staff. Instead, she created a bow out of ice which she held in her right hand. The enemies noticed her and started advancing slowly. Rom lifted up the bow, and even though there was no bowstring, she pulled back with her left hand. She formed an ice arrow in her left hand and took aim. She was shaking slightly as she let loose the arrow. It whizzed past the closest ghost's body.

"Stay calm, Rom. You got this!", shouted Ram.

Rom took a deep breath in and a deep breath out. She had to focus. She pictured the enemies in her head while she closed her eyes, and she attempted to zone everything else out. It worked partially, and she was more focused. She raised her bow like before and had a more confident stance. She summoned the arrow quicker than before and let it fly.

It shot through the air, hitting its mark. The closest Clyde stopped for a second upon being hit, with ice covering its body around the impact zone. It slowed down and then shattered into crystals. Rom then conjured three arrows and shot them at the next enemy. All three of them struck the Clyde, forming a triangle on its body. Not long after, the enemy shattered into pieces.

Next, Rom aimed up into the air. She waited a few seconds, allowing both enemies to approach. When they were close enough, Rom let out a continuous volley of ice arrows. They soared towards the ceiling and then arced down towards the ground. They were heading towards the Clydes. In a small circular area, arrows rained upon the ground. Both enemies were caught in the volley, and they were constantly bombarded by sharp icicles. Not long after, the two remaining enemies had disappeared.

Ram jumped in celebration. "See, Rom! I told you so!"

"Well done, Rom! You've already got the hang of using a bow!", added Nepgear.

Uni nodded. "Yeah, pretty good. Keep up the practice."

Rom beamed at all of them. "Thank you..!"

They all progressed some more. As they took the left turn, they encountered one more group of enemies. It comprised of two Crystal Golems and two tentacle dogoos.

"It looks like that's the last group.", stated Uni.

Nepgear smiled towards Uni. "Right. We can take them on together!"

After a few seconds of deliberation, Uni nodded. "…Fine. I guess it'll make it quicker."

"Cool! Can you take the dogoos?"

"Sure."

Nepgear and Uni transformed and then advanced together. The enemies noticed them and faced them. The dogoos were behind the golems.

Uni decided to try out her knife, along with a pistol in her left hand, on this quest. Nepgear stopped advancing, and she pointed her blade at the left golem. She placed her left hand on her right arm for support and then fired a beam out of her weapon. It shot forwards at an astounding speed, completely obliterating the golem.

Uni kept advancing, and she jumped straight over the right golem. The two dogoos were both surprised and lashed out with their tentacles. Since both enemies were close together, Uni would finish it in one swift movement. As Uni landed, she ducked and dashed towards the right dogoo. She spun to the left, cutting along its body with her knife. As she faced forward, she stabbed into its body while still moving.

Not wasting any time, she pointed the barrel of her pistol at the left dogoo and shot at it twice. Both bullets hit it in between its eyes. Both dogoos vanished at the same time. The remaining golem, who had spun to face Uni as she jumped over it, was taken by surprise by Nepgear. Nepgear rushed up to it and initiated Mirage Dance. She spun to the right, and spun again and again. Her blade cut across it each time. At the height of her third spin, she cut down at the creature towards her left. She spun her wrist to twist the blade, then dashed across the golem, swiping at it as she went passed it.

She stood up and looked at Uni while the last enemy dissipated into crystals. "See! That was really quick, Uni."

"Yeah. I think I'm getting the hang of this." Uni was flipping the knife around in her right hand.

Both of them unsummoned their weapons and then returned to their base forms. "Hmmmm, you're both so cool! I wish I was so good with my weapon…", said Ram.

"So… composed. I want to be like that…", said Rom.

Nepgear rubbed each of their heads. "Like Uni said, just keep practicing. You're both getting stronger, but it does take time."

"But don't get impatient. That sparks recklessness.", added Uni.

Both twins nodded. "Okay…"

"But… I think that's it! That's all we had to do, so we can leave now.", said Nepgear.

Uni crossed her arms. "Huh. That was… rather short. I expected more from today."

"That doesn't mean that we HAVE to be done for today!", exclaimed Ram. "We can… um… Right, we can go eat something together!"

Rom nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah..! We can spend some time together… for the day…"

Nepgear smiled at them. "I was planning on doing that anyway! What do you say, Uni?"

Uni considered this for a few moments. It was true that work had gotten a bit lighter as of late, so she might be able to spare some time with her friends. "Why not? I'll join in."

"Great! We can go to one of the Guild spots in the city, so follow me!"

The group of four backtracked through the dungeon and exited it. The large, metallic doors shut behind them, and they faced away from the factory. They all initiated their transformation, and then flew off to the West. As they were rising up into the air, Nepgear looked back at the factory.

"That… wasn't so bad…", she thought to herself. "Maybe I am just being paranoid." She could not shake that feeling of uncertainty. The feeling that she had before leaving on the quest. But… nothing bad had happened in the dungeon. And with a name like "Darkness 60", Nepgear anticipated that whatever feeling she had would be realized during their expedition. But there was nothing… Yet.

No, there was no way. They had no other quests for today, so nothing bad could happen. Nothing bad should happen. "Stay positive! It's only me! Nothing bad is going to happen."

Uni looked at Nepgear with a quizzical face. "What's wrong, Nepgear?"

"Oh, i-it's nothing, sorry. Really! I just had a thought on that dungeon."

"Really?"

"Really…"

"Hmph, fine."

And all four of them sped off towards their destination.

* * *

**On the West section of Planeptune:**

The Candidates had stopped off at one of the Guild's around the city. They sat down at the restaurant present in it, as each Guild had some sort of resting area where adventurers could stop off for a while. Each of them was immediately recognized, and they greeted many civilians on their way to a table. Upon finding their seats, a waiter immediately greeted them and took their orders.

Nepgear ordered a standard vanilla ice cream with strawberry toppings. Uni ordered some dark chocolate brownies with icing sugar and ice cream on top of them. Ram and Rom each ordered a large milkshake filled with chocolate balls of assorted colours, and a chocolate flake to top it off. "Dessert after a quest should always happen, duh.", stated Ram, before they started ordering.

It would take some time for each of the orders to be completed, so they would have to wait for a while. The Guild that they ate at had silvery grey floors with black lines running across them in no particular pattern. The walls were primarily purple, along with the roof. There were silvery grey lines separating sections of the wall and roof, as well as lining the entrance and many square windows in the Guild. The roof was slightly curved, almost like a dome.

The tables that the Candidates sat at were silvery white, along with the chairs they sat at. The tables were circular and the chairs were fairly standard as well. On Nepgear's left was Uni, who had Rom to the left of her, with Ram sitting next to her. "Well, we have some time to talk, so what should we talk about?", started Nepgear.

Uni shifted in her seat and crossed her arms while looking at Nepgear. "How about… what's been bothering you?"

Rom and Ram looked between both of the older Candidates. "Something… bothering you?", inquired Rom.

Nepgear looked at Uni with upturned eyebrows and then sighed to herself. "Do I have to...?"

"Yes, you do. If you don't get this off your chest, it'll stay with you, and I don't need you getting depressed."

"I suppose…"

"You can tell us!", beamed Ram. "I wanna know!"

Nepgear sighed again. "It's probably about what you expect… Recent events."

Rom looked slightly nervous. "You mean… with Rei?"

Ram crossed her arms and pouted. "With the bad CPUs?"

"Y-Yes, with the… bad… CPUs…", said Nepgear.

"Figured as much. You did start to feel paranoid just before we encountered them.", stated Uni.

"I did. I can't help but feel… No, I know that it concerns them."

"How..?", asked Rom.

"I don't know. I just know that it… isn't a good feeling."

"Well they are the bad guys, so we just gotta beat 'em up.", said Ram.

"T-That's the thing… I don't really think that they're… bad people…"

The other three looked surprised at this statement. "Nepgear. They tried to KILL Rei.", stated Uni.

"I know, but-"

"They attacked us! How aren't they bad people?!", exclaimed Ram.

Rom looked down to the floor. "They hurt all of us…"

"W-Well… Let me explain. Please?" After a few seconds, three others nodded, letting Nepgear continue. "Okay, here we go… It happened when that girl… Renna… fought against us. When she… collapsed…"

Ram narrowed her eyes while continuing to pout. "When she beat up all of us?"

"Y-Yes… It happened at the end, when you two were knocked out.", said Nepgear, directed at Rom and Ram.

Uni sat back in her chair with her arms crossed. "Does it have to do with why you were unharmed?"

"Yes. It was just before you were knocked out, Uni. She rushed up to my sister and I. The reason she didn't attack us was because we helped them the first time, when we found out that they were CPUs."

Uni held out a hand. "But that doesn't really prove that they're good people, Nepgear. They still did what they did."

"…And after that, when she… attacked Rei, and when we rescued Rei. It was then. She didn't attack us as we held Rei. And when we showed her what condition her brother was in, she completely ignored Rei and went to him instead."

"She went to help him..?", asked Rom.

"Yes. She prioritized him."

"But that still doesn't mean much! Just because she helped her brother doesn't mean that they're good people!", exclaimed Ram.

"There is one more thing. You were there with me when it happened, Uni. Remember? Renna and Gil had just finished off with a group of dogoos that were invading the city."

Uni nodded once. "Well, mostly Gil."

"Right. Renna spoke to us like normal people. And we saw them act like normal people before, when they were at that restaurant place."

"That does hold some merit…"

"They warned us. That means that they don't necessarily want to fight us, but that they will if we stop them."

"But aren't most villains like that?", asked Ram. "They do what they want and attack us when we try to stop them?"

Rom looked at her sister. "B-But… the villains don't always act like they did…"

"It doesn't matter! They attacked us and our sisters, so they're the bad guys."

Nepgear shifted in her seat. "Which brings me to a question. What do you all think of them and our situation with them?"

"They're the bad guys! They're bad as long as they want to kill Rei.", said Ram.

"But do you think that they're bad people?"

Ram hesitated for a few seconds. She did hear what Nepgear said, that Renna and Gil weren't bad people. But they were still against her friends. "Maybe they aren't evil people, but they still want to kill someone. That means that they're bad."

Nepgear nodded to herself, then turned her head towards Rom. "What about you, Rom?"

"I… I don't think that they're bad people… just that they're doing bad things… They're misguided. When… Renna fought against Blanc, when she was sent towards us… She landed by us and looked at us. S-She… could've hurt us… but she didn't…"

Nepgear nodded at Rom while smiling, and then faced Uni, who spoke. "Well, I think that they are… not bad people. But we have to face against them. Not to mention, they did do a number on us, so we can't feel as nice about them as you do, Nepgear."

"T-That is true…"

"So I say that it boils down to us being against them due to their objective, not because they're bad people. But we're still against them."

"But that might change! Rom, Ram, do you two know about how that's going to happen?"

"Kinda…", said Ram.

"A little…", said Rom.

"Okay. So you know the other Neptune?"

"Yes…", said the twins.

"She's with them, along with Uzume."

"S-She's with the bad guys?!', exclaimed Ram.

"And Uzume…", muttered Rom.

"Yes. But they're going to convince them to not kill Rei. They're trying to be friendly with them and bring them onto our side."

"So what would you two think of them if they were good guys?", asked Uni, aimed at the twins.

"I… I would like that.", said Rom, smiling.

"I suppose… that wouldn't be bad. They wouldn't be the bad guys anymore, but they still did attack us. So it would be… better, I guess.", said Ram.

Nepgear smiled at Rom and Ram. "I'm glad you two would give them a chance. What about you, Uni?"

Uni thought on this for a few moments. She leaned back in her seat and brought her right hand to her chin. "I… Don't necessarily think that they are bad people. But Nepgear… you have to realize their objective. They are trying to kill someone, a CPU that we saved, and they probably still have that mindset. So you have to realize that we can't really afford to think that they're good people. They're against us. It just works out like that sometimes…"

"But that can change! I'm sure that Neptune… the other one… and Uzume can bring them onto our side."

"For your sake… I mean for everyone's sake, I hope that you're right. But we don't know what will happen."

"And only time will tell…"

"Exactly."

As the conversation came to an end, all four Candidates received their respective orders. They relished their dessert, enjoying all the different flavours. They only took a few minutes to finish up. They sat for a while longer and spoke for a bit more. Mostly about how much progress Rom and Ram were making, and about any advice that Nepgear and Uni could give them. They were both very eager to get stronger.

Nepgear stretched her arms into the air. "Well, I think that that's enough of a rest. We should go hand in the quest at the reception."

"Sure.", replied Uni. "And… I'll pay for our dessert."

"Uni, you don't have-"

"I insist. It's really nothing, so don't make a big deal out of it."

Nepgear smiled at Uni. "If you say so… But thanks."

"Don't mention it." Uni paid the waiter the amount owed, and all four Candidates stood up. As a group, they strolled over to the counter that they could hand in any quests. Even though it was a small distance, people would recognize them and greet them. It was always so nice to see the civilians express their genuine gratitude. They reached the counter, with Nepgear in the lead. Uni stood to her left, crossing her arms and looking out at the people passing by. Rom and Ram had wiggled in front of Nepgear and could only barely poke their heads above the top of the counter.

"We're here to claim our reward!", exclaimed Ram.

"We completed a quest…", said Rom.

From here, Nepgear took the initiative. She spoke with the Guild employee briefly and collected the reward. Before they could turn to leave, Uni had spotted a suspicious figure splitting off from the general crowd. It looked like the person was heading towards them. She nudged at Nepgear, who turned in response. She noticed the person, and became slightly nervous. Rom and Ram also became aware of this, and turned as well.

The person was clad in a full purple robe, with a hood to cover their face. The robe was lined with gold, and there was a single golden line reaching around the person, extending from shoulder to shoulder. They wore a veil, so it was impossible to see their face. But… nobody seemed to notice this person. Nobody but the Candidates.

"Greetings, Candidates of Gamindustri." It was a man's voice. He spoke politely, and clearly.

"H-Hello…", greeted Nepgear. She was slightly put off, admittedly.

"May I be so forward as to place a certain quest on you all? I am aware that it is sudden, but it is an urgent request that I would not want anybody inexperienced taking upon. Would you all be so kind as to consider it?"

The Candidates looked around at each other and decided that it would not cause any harm. Maybe this person was a civilian with a regular request, and just so happened to find the Goddesses, and hoped that they could fulfill it? A civilian with a suspicious get-up, but still, a civilian.

"Sure, we'll hear you out. That's what we do.", said Uni.

"My deepest gratitude to you all. It is a simple request, although it is somewhat of a journey. However, I do not think that it would pose any threat to any of your abilities."

"Okay, please explain it to us.", said Nepgear.

"Thank you. I would be most appreciative if you would all find a certain relic located in a dungeon situated to the North of Planeptune. The dungeon is situated in the middle of a large lake, and it is a large castle."

"We've been there before! We've been there before!", said Ram.

"We… beat the bad guys there… some time ago…", added Rom.

"That's where we spoke to that ancient Goddess, Uranus.", whispered Uni, to Nepgear.

"We know where that is.", confirmed Nepgear. "And… what is the relic that you would like us to collect?"

"It is an ancient blade. The last known location of it was in that castle. It is not a measly blade, and would most likely not be found lying about on the floor."

Uni raised an eyebrow. "You're saying that it stands out and is most likely on display or something?"

"Indeed, for it is a special blade. I apologize, but that is all the information I have. All I ask is that you retrieve it and bring it back with you."

"And what about the reward?"

The person held out his hands that were also covered in the long, hanging robes. In his palm appeared what seemed to be credits. "This is the reward. Go on, take it."

"W-What?! But we haven't even left yet…", said Nepgear.

"It does not matter. I have full faith in all of your abilities. You are Goddesses, after all. Nobody else is more capable of this."

Nepgear eyed the credits and then looked up at the veil, where she imagined the man's eyes would be. "O-Okay… We'll be sure to return as soon as possible with the blade. We'll get it to you as soon as possible." She accepted the credits, and subsequently, the quest.

"I am most certain of that."

"So… we'll be going now. We'll be certain to give this item to you."

"I wish you all luck on your endeavours."

The group of four nodded at the hooded man and then turned to leave the Guild. Once they were all outside, they transformed, and once again flew off to the North of Planeptune. The surrounding people cheered as the Candidates soared.

"…However… I did not say that I would need the blade back… For it is not mine to wield…"

* * *

**LAN Castle:**

"Ugh, this is the second time today that we went this direction!", complained Ram.

The candidates arrived at the secluded castle and quickly made their way through the gargantuan doors, reaching the first room.

"We've already received the reward, so we can't exactly complain.", commented Uni.

"I know, but still."

"That man said that it was urgent…", said Rom.

Ram put her hands on her hips. "And he was kinda suspicious. Who was that?"

"I… have no idea. He seemed polite.", answered Nepgear.

"How many credits did he give you?", questioned Uni.

"Oh, right, I hadn't checked…" Nepgear opened he inventory. "I'd say that he gave me about… Wait, one hundred thousand credits?!"

"E-Excuse me?!"

Ram opened her mouth in surprise. "One hundred… thousand?!"

"That's… a lot of credits for a reward… and he didn't seem to mind…", muttered Rom.

"That guy, whoever he is, is suspicious.", stated Uni.

"I-I think we all think that…", commented Nepgear. "Regardless, we should get going. We still have to complete this and return the weapon to him." All four candidates continued through the dungeon. The first room had a left and right path, and the group opted for the left path. They all approached the first turn, and were prepared for anything to jump out at them… Only to encounter no resistance. There were all sorts of monsters around this place when they had first visited this castle. But now… It was barren of all life. "Maybe…. They all moved out? I don't think this is a nice place to live…", assessed Rom.

"We should stay on guard. We never know what might appear.", warned Nepgear. They all agreed to this, and continued on. They took notice of the architecture as they progressed. The ceiling was really high up, and there were black chandeliers with yellow lights hanging in each room. The floors were like a chessboard, except the spaces were dark green, light green, and a sort of browny-green colour.

In the larger rooms there were long, red carpets emblazoned with an intricate golden pattern. In the smaller, circular rooms making up the corners of the path were large, circular, plate like tiling that was primarily dark green. These, too, had the golden patterns along them. There were large yellow windows along the walls, and they each had black lines along them as a sort of pattern. There were many pillars separating the windows, and each of them was dark green with golden outlines.

On the opposite walls was a multitude of statues, each made out of green stone. They were of people, and were also separated by pillars. In the paths connecting rooms, the walls were covered by a yellowy-white pattern, with similar designs to that of the carpets.

In each room were lamps similar to the ones on the chandeliers present on the walls. It would have been a phenomenal sight, exuding extreme regality, if it weren't for the fact that the castle had been largely uninhabited for… a long time, and as such was very dirty.

Some of the colour of the statues was fading, and it was impossible to make out who the statues were meant to depict. The paint covering the floor, walls and ceilings was faded, and dirty. But the lamps and chandeliers still shone.

Rom looked around nervously. "This place is… spooky."

"It is very… unnerving. Even though we've been here before.", added Uni.

"It's… it's fine.", said Ram, with a brave face.

"And still… no monsters…", muttered Nepgear. "Why?"

"Maybe they did move out?", said Rom.

They continued on, entering the second section of the castle. The infrastructure was in line with the first section, and there was nothing different aside from differing paths.

"Yet again… No monsters…", spoke Nepgear, taking a more natural stance.

Uni still had a firm grip on her rifle. "We should still be careful. We don't know what might happen."

They continued on, once again with no monster encounters. "I haven't seen any special rooms on any of the paths, so I don't think we've reached it yet.", observed Ram.

"Which means that it's probably in the next section.", said Uni.

"The underground section.", finished Nepgear. The party of four reached the final room of the second section and searched around it. "If I'm not mistaken… It should be here… Yes, it's there." Nepgear pointed to the end of the room.

The Candidates all reached a set of stairs crawling downwards onto a lower level. There were lamps on the side, so everything was visible. "We should… go down there…", initiated Rom.

Upon reaching the lower floor, they observed the architecture around them. It was largely similar to the upper section, but there were some differences. The most obvious being that there were no more windows present. Replacing them were more statues, along with paintings and portraits of art long since faded. It was also significantly darker, although the same light sources were present on both floors.

They traversed through the corridors and through the rooms. And still… no enemies. They eventually walked past a corridor that lead into a very large room. Uni pointed into it. "That's the one. The one with Uranus."

"I wonder how she's doing?", pondered Nepgear.

"I don't think we should disturb her. Let her have her rest."

So they continued on until they reached a particular room. Ram started rushiing towards it. "…Wait… That door looks suspicious!" The others gave chase, and all four members stopped in front of a large door. "…It is indeed.", said Nepgear, sizing it up. The door was large and dark purple. It had black lines running diagonally across it from both directions. Nepgear went to turn the handle of the door, but found that she could not open it. "It's locked… Huh."

Ram pointed upwards. "…Look, up there!" All members looked up and saw that n the middle of the large door were three locks. "It's probably protected by some sort of sealing magic, too.", said Uni.

Rom stepped forward and touched the door. "Let… me have a go…" Nepgear, Uni and Ram observed Rom as she pressed her palms against the door. "…There is magic blocking this. But… I'll remove it."

"Go ahead, Rom. You can do it!', cheered Nepgear.

"Of course she can!", added Ram.

Rom stood with her palms against the door for a few minutes. "…Done." Ice crawled up the door, emanating from Rom's hands. It made its way to the locks, and quickly enveloped them. A few seconds later, they all shattered.

"Well done, Rom!", congratulated Nepgear.

"I knew you could do it!", continued Ram.

"Hehehe… Thank… you…"

Uni readied herself. "Now, let me have a go at it…" The other three Goddesses stood aside, waiting for Uni. She walked a few steps back, then sprinted at the door. She kicked it open, sending the doors apart from each other. She landed on one knee and surveyed the room, all the while gripping onto her rifle. "Clear."

Nepgear, Rom and Ram all entered the room. "It's much… different…", commented Nepgear, looking around.

"It's very… creepy.", admitted Ram. Rom, who stood next to Ram, held on to her sister's hand.

The room was dark with dark purple lamps scattering the sides of the walls. It was a much gloomier room than the rest of the dungeon. The walls still held the same patterns as the rest of the castle, except instead of gold, the patterns were coloured with lilac. There was a singular chandelier that held dark purple lamps. The room was empty besides a long, purple carpet heading out from the door, reaching out towards the end of the room. The room was about the same size as the one housing Uranus.

Nepgear took a wary stance. "We should… We should go in…"

"Rom, Ram, stay with us.", said Uni. The twins silently nodded in response. The Candidates were all very disturbed by this room. There was an aura… a very dark, heavy aura. It was a dangerous, menacing, and threatening aura.

Nepgear held a very worried face as she took up the front. She had her left hand balled into a fist, and she held it up to her chest. She held her sword in her right hand. Uni, who was to the left and slightly behind Nepgear, constantly darted her head about. She strained her eyes to look out for any signs of danger. She was gripping her rifle tightly. Rom and Ram were breathing faster, and were also very worried. They were scared. This room was scary. Very, very scary, and they didn't know the exact reason why.

Nepgear squinted forward. "What's… that over there?"

Uni focused forward and saw what Nepgear referred to. "Maybe that's what we're looking for. We should approach it quickly, but carefully." Nepgear nodded, and all four Candidates accelerated their paces. They arrived at a small altar of sorts. It was light purple, with purple cloth covering it. It stuck out from the wall, and had two light purple pillars on each side of it. The altar part slightly jutted out of the wall and formed a sort of counter-like platform. But in the wall…

"Is that… the sword?", whispered Rom.

"I-I think so…", replied Ram.

In the wall was a large slab of light purple. It housed a weapon, a sword.

"It has to be.", said Nepgear.

"Go get it.", said Uni, nudging Nepgear.

"M-Me?! Why me?!"

"Y-You're closer, so you should do it!"

"F-Fine, just… watch my back…"

"I've been doing that the entire time."

Nepgear made her weapon disappear as she walked towards the wall at a slow pace. She reached out with both hands and found two gaps in the wall where she could grab onto the weapon. Her breathing accelerated as she held onto the sword. With little effort, Nepgear pulled the weapon out. She held it out in both hands and turned to let the others see.

"It's so…", started Uni.

"…Creepy.", finished Rom and Ram.

Nepgear stared down at the blade in her hands. It was giving off a very… different aura. "Yes… It is very… different…" It was dark purple. The blade was dark purple along the edges, and gradually grew lighter as it reached the center of the blade, but it was still primarily dark purple. The handle of it was an even darker purple, and formed a guard reaching slightly up the blade. A small section of the handle reached up the blade. On it was a cyan crystal, along with a small yellowy-orange gem underneath it.

It was… Deathly…

"…I think we should leave.", said Nepgear, after a few moments of silent observation. The party agreed without objection. They backtracked through the halls, with Nepgear putting the weapon into her inventory. After a few minutes, they were outside.

"Finally! I was getting sick of that place.", said Ram, basking in the sunlight.

"It was… stuffy… inside…", added Rom.

After a few moments of reaclimatizing to the outside, Nepgear spoke. "We should go back to the Guild and see that man."

"Yeah, whoever he is.", said Uni.

* * *

**Back at the Guild:**

The Candidates reached the Guild and transformed back into their base forms outside the Guild.

"Ready, everyone?", prepared Nepgear.

"As I'll ever be.", said Uni.

"Yeah!", said Ram.

"Yes…", finished Rom.

"Okay… Let's go…"

They all entered the Guild and scoured the interior.

"Where… is he?", asked Rom, after a few moments of looking around. The suspicious man from before was nowhere to be seen. He was quite noticeable, so there was no way that they could've missed him.

"Maybe we should wait around for a bit.", offered Nepgear. They sat down at a table and waited. A good ten minutes passed, when Uni went up to the counter. When she returned, she said that she had asked the employee if they'd seen anyone matching the description of the suspicious man recently. Unfortunately, they had not. They reached the twenty minute mark, with no luck. And then a half hour passed.

"I hate to say it, but… I don't think he's coming back.", surmised Uni, standing up. "I think that this was his intention from the start."

The other three also stood up, with Nepgear speaking. "I guess… But why? Why give us this large amount of Credits, send us to find this suspicious blade, then leave without a trace?"

"It doesn't make sense… It's so frustrating, ahh!", exclaimed Ram.

"It is."

After a few more minutes, they were all back outside. "I think we should all get going now.", said Nepgear. "I promised Histoire that I'd be back as soon as possible, so I need to get back." She walked towards Rom and Ram, and bent down to give them each a hug. "Goodbye, you two."

"Bye Nepgear!", said Ram.

"Bye Nepgear…!", said Rom.

Nepgear stood up and walked towards Uni. "Goodbye, Uni. It was nice to spend the day with you."

"I… guess, maybe… Thanks for inviting me…"

"It's not a problem! There's no reason not to."

"Still… Thanks…"

Nepgear smiled warmly at Uni, and went in for a hug. Uni, who was usually surprised by these sort of actions… was surprised by this action at first. But she let it happen, and returned the hug in kind.

As they pulled away, Uni spoke to Nepgear. "What're you going to do with that sword?"

"I think… I'll keep it and examine it. I'll ask Histoire to investigate into it, and hopefully come up with some information."

"Be sure to tell me anything special about it when you find out, okay?"

"I will."

"As soon as you find it out."

"Mmmhmm!"

"And… Be careful with it, please?"

"Thank you, Uni, I will be."

"Just keep me informed…"

"I'll be sure to do that."

Uni gave Nepgear a small smile, to which Nepgear responded with a wide smile.

"Rom… Why are they so close to each other?"

"I don't know, sis… Maybe they're talking about something private?"

"You mean like… grown-up talk?"

"Maybe… some important things…"

"Maybe."

"But they're still close…"

"They are!"

Upon hearing this, Uni widened her eyes and backed away. She and Nepgear had been standing rather close to each other, even though they had separated from hugging.

"S-So, yeah, be careful and whatever… I-It would be bad for everyone if you were hurt and… stuff…", stuttered Uni, looking away in embarrassment.

Nepgear looked at Uni with a friendly face, and then giggled to herself. Uni narrowed her eyes. "W-What?! What's so funny?!"

"Nothing, nothing… You're quite funny, Uni."

"H-How is that?!"

"I don't know how to describe it to myself, Uni, so I'm sorry, but I can't tell you." Uni couldn't come up with anything else to say after that. "But anyway, I'll be off now!", said Nepgear, waving to Uni, Rom and Ram one last time. "Goodbye!"

"Byeeeee!", waved Ram.

"Byeeeee..!", waved Rom.

"G-Goodbye.", waved Uni.

Nepgear then transformed and started flying towards Planeptower. She giggled one last time and sped off.

* * *

**Planeptower:**

"Hello, Histoire, I'm back!", said Nepgear, as she entered the living quarters.

"Oh, hello Nepgear. I hope that everything went well? But besides that, we have visitors."

Nepgear looked next to Histoire and spotted two people standing up. One of them had long, brown hair that cascaded down her back. She had a leafy bow in it, and the green matched her eyes. She had a long, primarily blue overcoat that seemed too big for her. It had wide, black lines by the hands and running up the middle of it. It also had large pockets. She wore a black shirt, along with black shorts. There were two white lines present on both pieces, along with a white "i" on the shirt. Her belt was black, and had a sideways "iF" on it. She had blue boots to match her coat.

The second person was much more… fluffy looking. She had creamy pink hair that curled down her back. In her hair was a black headband adorned with a white "C". Her hair colour was the same as her eye colour. She wore a tan-white wooly top with sleeves that weren't attached to the main section. Rather, the parts of her arms just under her shoulders were exposed, and where the sleeves started, there were fluffy balls. She wore a short red plaid skirt with a purse strapped across her waist. The purse was the same colour as her hair, with a white "C" on it. She wore black-brown knee socks, along with boots that matched her top. She had a choker with a heart on it that had the same design as her purse.

"IF! Compa! It's so good to see you two!", exclaimed Nepgear, rushing towards her old friends. She gave them both a hug, which they returned.

"Hey, Nepgear.", greeted IF, with a small smile.

"Ge-Ge! It's nice to see ya again!", greeted Compa, with a wider smile.

They separated, and Nepgear spoke. "What brings you two here? Are you here to spend some time with us?"

"Unfortunately not, Nepgear. I'm here because Histoire asked me to do something… Not that I wouldn't visit you guys if I had the chance.", explained IF.

"Oh… And how about you, Compa?"

"I'm here because I saw Iffy walking here! I saw her and I thought that I should join her! So now I'm going with her on a little trip!", said Compa, enthusiastically.

"Little…trip?"

"I was going to explain.", started Histoire. "I've asked IF here to go to the Ultradimension and have a look at Rei to see how she is doing. And it seems like Compa is joining her."

"I see."

"That's the rundown. I hate to leave, but I gotta.", said IF, patting Nepgear on her right shoulder. "Sorry, Nepgear."

"No, it's fine, I understand. Just be sure to visit us again soon, okay?"

"Will do.", saluted IF.

"And you too, Compa! Stay with IF, and please be safe! But have fun!", said Nepgear.

"You betcha! I'll be sure to watch Iffy, and I won't get lost!", said Compa.

"Okay… Goodbye!"

"See ya guys."

"Bye-byeeee!"

And IF and Compa, after a very brief interaction, left the living quarters.

"Now, Nepgear, how did it go? You took quite longer than anticipated…", started Histoire.

"I-I am sorry about that, but I have a reason. Please let me explain."

"Alright."

Nepgear then went on to explain how they completed the primary quest and returned to the Guild. She then explained how the suspicious man had approached them with a quest, and gave them the reward before they even finished it. She then went on to explain how they explored LAN Castle, and how they found the sealed room. Nepgear described the sealed room, along with the altar. She described the blade, and the feeling that she felt inside the room. She finished off by explaining how the suspicious man was nowhere to be found at the Guild, and then that she flew off to Planeptower.

"May I… See this sword, Nepgear?"

"Yes, I have it here." Nepgear summoned the sword into her hands and held it out to Histoire, who examined it. She floated around it for a while before speaking.

"I would like to find out anything that I can about this weapon, Nepgear."

"I was going to request that, so thank you."

"It is as you described it… Very disturbing."

"Do you have any idea what it might be?"

"I have a few ideas, but nothing concrete. I'll need to conduct research."

"Okay…"

Histoire stayed silent for a few moments before coming out of her deep thought. "Oh, Nepgear, I apologize."

"It's alright. Is there anything that you need me to do?"

"Not right now, no. So I think that you can rest up. I shall call you if there is anything urgent."

"What about the work you told me about?"

"That can wait. I need to get started on analyzing that weapon. Please lay it out on the main table." Nepgear, still holding the ominous blade, walked over to the table. She carefully laid it down. "Thank you, Nepgear."

"No problem!"

Histoire nodded. "Now, I insist that you rest up. It sounded like today was a tiring day for you and the other Candidates. In more ways than one."

"Thank you, Histoire. And please… Tell me when you find anything out about that sword?"

"I'll be sure to inform you. But go now, rest up. You've earned it."

"Thank you, Histoire. Bye." Nepgear turned around and headed towards her room. She entered and immediately went to her bed. She fell down into it and faced the ceiling. "Goodness…"

It really was a tiring day. The first quest was nothing too serious. It was more like… practice for the others. And they were doing well. She'd have to finish up with her inventions soon. But the second quest…

The mysterious man, the completely abandoned castle, the eerie room, the sword, and the man being gone… It was very suspicious. Nepgear hoped that this feeling she had did not relate to these things in any way. She really, really hoped not. "Goodness… I hope not."

Only time would tell.

* * *

**Finished. Yay!**

**How'd you guys find it? The character interactions with each other? Also how I'm developing some of the characters? ****And how about their combat developments? Do those feel alright? I hope so! ****Let me know! Any of your thoughts are welcomed, seriously!**

…**And yes… ****That sword… ****Oh, you know that sword… ****And if you don't…**

**Oh boy.**

**But yes, that's all for now! Hopefully I am on time next time!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	18. A Day with Rei

**Hello again! It's me again. Welcome back again!**

**I'm a day late this time. Great. Sorry about that, things have been quite busy as of late, and I have no idea if that'll slow down any time soon. ****But thank you for sticking with this!**

**I'm not saying anything about this chapter. Stuff happens! Yeah!**

**Thank you, and have fun.**

* * *

**Chapter 17:**

"Hey, do you think she's awake?"

"I dunno Iffy, I don't think so."

"Guess not. Oh well, we just gotta wait a bit. What's your take, Compa?"

"From what I see… She looks A-okay!"

"As expected from a Goddess, I suppose. They're crazy strong."

"But you're strong too, Iffy! You fight with Nep-Nep and the others."

"You do as well."

"True, but I'm more of a medic."

"There's nothing wrong with that. Those are important."

"Hehe, thanks Iffy."

What was happening? Who did these voices belong to? She didn't recognize them… Was she going to be interrogated? She sure hoped not. She didn't need another one of those!

Rei was very worried, as usual. "Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no…", thought Rei. She was lying in bed in what seemed to be a hospital.

"I think she's awake now."

"Really? Did you see her move?"

"I saw her move her face! And shift a little! So… probably?"

"Well I hope she is. I need to have her answer some questions."

So they WERE here to interrogate her! Oh no oh no oh no… She'd been in here for days, and not once had she been questioned by any sort of Guild worker or news reporter… "What should I do? Should I open my eyes and try to answer their questions? But that's so much pressure! Maybe I should keep my eyes closed. Yeah… But then these people won't have done their job right! How horrible! But they could come back another day… But that's dishonest… Ahhhh!"

"Give her a little poke, Iffy."

"You sure? I wouldn't want to get reported or anything."

"I'm sure it's fine! She can handle a little poke, she's a Goddess!"

"Eh, whatever."

Rei, upon hearing this, tried to maintain her composure. Nobody was talking, so she wasn't sure when she'd be poked. The anticipation, or rather, dread, was killing her. Not wanting to wait any longer, Rei resigned herself to her fate. She sat up on her bed, lifting the top part of her body at an alarmingly quick rate. She almost collided with a person on the way up.

"Ahhhhhh!", screamed Rei.

"W-Woah!", exclaimed the brunette.

"See! She's awake!", said the… fluffy clothed girl.

Rei looked between them while moving back into her bed, away from these new people. She gripped onto her plain white blanket, pulling it close to her chest. She had a terrified expression. "W-What… who… why..?" Rei… wasn't the best at handling stressful situations. Especially ones as stressful as the current one. She'd been gravely wounded days ago, and had been sent to this hospital to recover.

The Planeptune Basilicom made sure that she had the best medical care, as well as making sure that Rei was secluded and far away from normal civilians. She was fully recovered at this point, but was kept inside for safety reasons. Extra check-ups, and for protection.

Having revealed her past actions concerning… those two… to the Goddesses, who had all just pitched up at her house out of nowhere, being chased by… the pair… watching them get beaten by the Goddesses, watching… her… beat the Goddesses, getting severely wounded and threatened by… the girl… and overall suffering from PLENTY of stress... The past few days hadn't really been all that great for poor old Rei…

"Woah, woah, calm down there! We aren't here to hurt you or anything.", said the brunette.

"Please calm down, miss.", said the fluffy one. This one proceeded to walk towards Rei.

The bed that Rei was in was a standard hospital bed. On either side of the bed, a short distance away from it, were two sliding pieces of fabric to block the vision of others.

The fluffy one walked on the right of the bed, and approached Rei. She bent over slightly, lowering her head to be in line with Rei, since Rei was huddled at the corner of the bed. "I'm Compa. It's nice to meet ya!" She held her outstretched palm towards Rei and gently smiled at her. "I won't hurt you, so please calm down." Rei, who was breathing heavily, gradually slowed down her breathing.

"Here, let me pull you back up! Good posture is very important for people to have!" This girl really did look kind… Blinking a few times at Compa, Rei reached out with her right hand, quivering while holding onto the warm hand.

"There, there…", said Compa, in a caring voice, slowly pulling her up. "It's okay now." Compa gently eased Rei into an upright position, sitting up on her bed with the blanket covering her lower half. Rei wore the usual plain white-blue hospital shirt and long pants. She still had her glasses, as well as her hair accessory.

"Do you feel alright now? We're not here to make you scared, miss.", said Compa.

Rei nodded at her, placing both hands in her own lap. "I'm… I'm fine… And who are… you?"

"Right. The name's IF. I'm a Guild agent sent here to check up on you, but don't worry. I won't hurt you."

Rei gulped, but remained calm with a few deep breaths. "S-So, you two already know who I am, then?"

"Yeah."

"Yip!"

"Oh great… So it is an interrogation…"

"You could say that. But I'm not here for some news outlet. I was sent here from the Oracle of Planeptune.". said IF.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. Although… Not this one. We're both from the Hyperdimension."

"F-From the other dimension… why?"

"Because Histy asked us to check up on you! We want to make sure that you're alright.", spoke Compa.

"O-Oh… Okay…"

IF, who was sitting in a chair to the left of Rei, leaned forward and placed her elbows on her knees while looking at Rei. "But let's get to it. You're in good condition to move around and get outta here, which means that you can answer the few questions I have."

"A-A few?"

"Probably. And then you can leave this place. Go back home, or wherever you want."

"I… don't even know if my home is in good condition anymore."

IF blinked at Rei a few times. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Compa clasped her hands together. "That's so sad! What happened?"

"So… do you really know about what happened to me, and why I'm here?"

"Yes, we both know. We're old friends of Neptune, so we heard everything about their plans, straight from them.", answered IF.

"We know about who did this to you as well…", spoke Compa, in a sad tone.

"Oh, great… tell me, this isn't public yet, is it? Please tell me that it isn't.", pleaded Rei.

IF gave Compa a wary look, and then returned her gaze to Rei. "It's… mostly under wraps. Nobody else, besides those who were there, Compa, and I, know about what exactly happened. But the public knows about the damage that was caused. It's been all over the news for the past couple-a days, but it's to be expected."

"That's… I hope that's good enough."

"But anyway, back to the question. Why do you think your home isn't in good condition anymore?"

"When I could escape my house to get away, I turned back as I ran. I saw that the bottom floor had some fire spraying out of it."

"Mhmmm, I see. Any idea what could've caused it?"

"Probably… one of the two. But… why are you asking me this? Shouldn't you already know this?"

"You're right, we do.", answered Compa. "We're just making sure that you know!"

"W-Well… they already did tests on me, so I'm fine. And I do… remember everything…"

"Mmm, okay then. So I can just skip over those questions…", said IF, running through her mental notebook. She placed her head into her left palm, thinking over the questions she was going to ask.

Rei looked around nervously, fidgeting slightly. Her eyes landed on Compa, who noticed her and returned the look with a friendly smile. Compa was now also sitting on a chair to the right of Rei's bed.

"Have you really not left this hospital after arriving here?", asked IF.

"N-No, I haven't. There are always a few guards around, as well as some doctors walking around, so even if I wanted to, I wouldn't be able to."

"Are you confident that you can move around properly? Have your injuries hampered you in any way?"

"No, I'm fine. The doctors made sure that I was okay. I've been here for… a few days, so I can still move properly."

"And how are you feeling? Mentally, I mean."

"I'm… feeling many things. Most are bad, but some are… not bad."

IF, intrigued by this, continued. "Care to elaborate on that?"

"S-Sure… Like I said, I'm mostly feeling bad. All those things I did way back… they're back to get me. I should've expected this."

"But you're a better person now, Rei!", said Compa. "You wouldn't do those things anymore, and you know it!"

"But I still did, and I'm paying for it…"

Compa got out of her chair sat down next to Rei. "And we're here to help you through it." Compa placed a hand on Rei's head, and started moving it around.

Rei was confused by this at first, but let it continue. It felt… somewhat nice.

"And what about the not so bad feelings? Explain, if you would.", spoke IF.

"Alright. It's… somewhat of a relieving feeling. I know, feeling relieved after almost killed by someone you… hurt a lot might sound weird, but please… listen…" Compa had changed from rubbing Rei's head to playing with her long, silvery blue hair. Rei seemed to enjoy this, and had a small smile because of it. "When I explained what happened… back then… to the Goddesses, R-Renna and… Gil… were both listening. They were there the entire time. They revealed themselves to me, and they even said that I was a good person!"

"That is bizarre… of them to say, I mean.", said IF.

"But that's good! It means that they're willing to forgive you!", said Compa, still playing with Rei's hair.

"T-They even said that they could… eventually. But that would probably happen after… well…"

"You're out of the picture.", finished IF.

"Y-Yes…"

IF nodded to herself and sat back in her seat. She was going to continue speaking, but decided not to upon seeing Rei and Compa. Compa was still running her hands through Rei's hair, and Rei seemed to be enjoying it a lot. Rei's eyes were closed, and she still had a smile on. She was rocking from side to side, clearly enjoying herself greatly. Compa was humming to herself while moving her hands, and was also enjoying this. IF took a smirk and decided to observe the sight in front of her for a few moments.

After a bit, Compa stopped. "Alright, Rei, there's some stuff that we have to tell you now.", informed Compa.

Rei opened her eyes, and her smile faltered. "I-Is it bad?"

"On the contrary, it's very good. I think you're going to like what I'm about to tell you.", replied IF.

Rei smiled in a relieved way, sighing while doing so. "Okay, I'm all ears."

"So there's… Wait, dammit, you don't know those two… Okay, so there're these two friends of ours that you haven't met… yet. One of them is Neptune, except she's from this dimension. That means she looks and acts more mature… Well, maybe not too much more mature. And the other one is a past Planeptune CPU from our dimension. Pretty long story, but just know that she's a good guy that has also gone through the ropes. Her name's Uzume. And they are… currently travelling alongside Renna and Gil as their companions."

"What?! They're… your friends… but they're with them… how does that make sense?!"

"That's the thing… Renna and Gil don't know that they're our friends, so they don't have any real reason to be suspicious."

"O-Oh… So what're they doing with them?"

"Neptune and Uzume are… trying to become Renna and Gil's friends. And judging by both of their personalities, and by the fact that we haven't heard anything bad from them, I'd say that they've been successful."

"O…kay? I-I'm glad that… Renna and Gil have some pleasant company, but besides that, why would I feel good?"

"That's because they're going to convince them to stop!", answered Compa. "They're going to get them to stop going after you!"

"Oh… I see…", said Rei, smiling to herself. "That… is really great news. Wow."

"Exactly.", continued IF. "Told you you'd like it."

Rei brought her hands to her chest, near her heart. "That… would make me so very, very happy…"

This gave IF another question. "So, Rei…"

"Y-Yes?"

"What exactly are your feelings towards Renna and Gil?" After the words left IF's mouth, the room was silent for a few moments. Both IF and Compa were waiting intently for Rei's response.

"I'd… have to say… That I want nothing more than for the both of them to be happy." IF and Compa didn't speak, letting Rei continue. "I want them to be happy and live a normal life. A-As normal a life as they can… I know what I did, and you all know what I did. We all know that it was despicable, and unforgivable. And yet… these two… these two people…"

Rei started tearing up at the thoughts she was having.

"H-Hey, calm down, Rei… Umm…", started IF, looking around for a tissue of sorts.

"Here, a tissue for you.", offered Compa.

Rei took the tissue. "T-Thank you…" She rubbed her eyes clear of the tears, and held onto the tissue.

"Please, continue.", said IF.

"A-Alright… These two… Renna and Gil… They said that they could eventually forgive me! Isn't that amazing?!" IF and Compa both nodded in affirmation. "They said that I was a good person. They said that… They said…" Rei wiped at her eyes again. She let out another sigh and recomposed herself.

"I want to be there for them. I want to be able to listen to them, and spend precious time with them. They're… related to me, so I feel like I have to protect them. I-I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that with fighting, but I-I can try to do it with any issues they have! I can listen to their stories, all their struggles and problems. All the good times and bad times… I'd like to form a powerful bond with them, if possible… They're… my Candidates. My brother and sister. I want them to enjoy life, and I want to enjoy it with them."

IF smiled at Rei. Compa was the one raising a tissue to her eyes now, wiping away a few tears. "Thank you Rei. That's all I needed to hear. I'm convinced."

"C-Convinced?"

IF stood up from her chair, and continued to look at Rei. "You really do want to help them. You've convinced me."

"Reeeeeeeei!", exclaimed Compa, latching onto Rei in a hug.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"You're… s-such a nice person, Rei!"

A few guards and doctors made themselves visible, and IF had to step in before things got out of hand. "I-It's nothing bad, honest! My friend here just got a little emotional while listening to a story…" IF continued to talk to the group of doctors and guards, while Rei was the one consoling Compa, surprisingly. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?", muttered Rei, to herself. She looked down at the girl bawling her eyes out in her lap.

She ran her right hand through Compa's hair methodically. She smiled to herself while doing so. This girl was very kind to her, even though they'd just met. She seemed very caring. Rei raised her vision to IF, who was now talking to a single doctor. That girl, too, was very kind. She didn't seem like the kind of person to pamper other people, but she spoke respectfully. She also didn't show any disdain towards Rei.

She was a little blunt sometimes, but she never berated Rei once. She was supportive, and helpful to Rei in a different way than Compa. These two girls… they seemed like good people.

IF must've finished up her conversation with the doctor, as she nodded at them and returned to Rei and Compa. "Alright, alright, you can stop now, Compa. Geez, sit up, will you?" She pulled Compa away from Rei. After a few moments of commotion, Compa was back in her seat, with IF still standing. "Well, Rei, I just spoke with a doctor. You're free to go."

Rei was surprised by the sudden statement. Sure, IF had said that she would be able to leave after they'd finished talking, but this quickly?! "T-That was… very fast, IF. Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

"So…where will you go, Rei?", asked Compa.

Rei looked at Compa with a neutral face. She hadn't really given this much thought… She couldn't go back home, of that she was certain. According to IF, the area around her house was still all over the news, so it wasn't likely that she could continue living there, at least for the time being. "I don't know… I don't think I have anywhere to go anymore…"

"O-Oh, yeah, right, with your home…", said IF, running her left hand through her hair.

Rei looked down at her lap, her right hand over her left hand. "I don't know what to do…"

"You could come with us!", offered Compa, with a wide smile.

Rei looked at Compa quickly with a surprised face. IF followed the same procedure. "C-Compa, what are you saying?"

"Oh, come on, Iffy! We know who she is, and what place is safer than under direct supervision from you and the Basilicom?"

"But… isn't it too sudden?!"

"Even if it's just for the day, Iffy! Pleeeeeeease? She has nowhere else to go!", pleaded Compa, who was stretched over the bed to reach at IF. Compa, while holding onto IF's hands, turned her head to the left to look at Rei. "Even if it's just for the day?"

Rei wasn't put off by this idea. She truly did have nowhere else to go, and she didn't want to feel like that. But why would this girl do this for her? They'd met just recently! Today! How is this girl… How can Compa be this kind? "Oh, that's exactly it…"

"Hmmmm?", came from Compa, raising an eyebrow at Rei.

"It's because you're so kind.", realized Rei, smiling widely at Compa. "Thank you, Compa. I'll join you for… a while."

"Yippee-skippee! I told ya, Iffy! Pleeeeeease?"

IF was looking at Rei while Compa was tugging at her long sleeves. "Alright, alright, we can do that." She pulled away from Compa. "I didn't really object to the idea in the first place. I only thought that it was too sudden.", she continued, putting a finger up in justification.

"Yaaaaaaay! Rei, Iffy said yes! She said yeeeeeees!", exclaimed Compa, raising her arms up in excitement.

"Y-Yaaaay…"

"Yeah, yeah. That means you have to get ready, though.", said IF.

"O-Of course! I-I'll do that right away!" She looked around the hospital ward. "B-But… where are my clothes?"

"U-Uhhhhh…"

"I dunno!"

"Great…"

The trio began searching around the hospital ward. They couldn't find any of her clothes in the immediate vicinity, and as such asked around. They encountered a doctor, and asked them where Rei's clothes could be found. The doctor directed the trio through a few corridors. The interior of the hospital looked like what you'd imagine. A lot of white, very clean, and plenty of hallways. They reached a room, and Rei was handed her replacement clothes after a few moments. She was also shown the X-rays of her when she first arrived.

"O-Oww…", muttered Rei.

"Owwie…", sounded Compa.

"Wow… that's, uh, quite, um…", finished IF.

They saw that Rei had sustained three major injuries. Her right arm, in the middle of her upper arm, had part of its bones broken. Quite a few parts, actually. Her left leg, by her thigh, had been punctured by Renna's glove. It was so sharp… Plenty of pieces had been broken. And her left shoulder. In the middle of her outer shoulder and the base of her neck. Thank goodness for Rei having the regenerative ability of a CPU, because if it wasn't for that… This would've taken a long, long time to fix.

"I think… I don't want to look anymore.", sounded Rei.

"Yeah, I agree.", said IF.

"Mmm…", said Compa.

As they strolled towards the exit of the hospital, Rei stopped off at a woman's bathroom. There, in a stall, she got changed into her regular attire. She left the bathroom and met IF and Compa as she walked out of it. They were close to the exit, and walked through the large automated doors, into the sunlight.

Rei, having been inside for quite some time, resigned herself to the pleasant feeling of the sun's rays touching her face. She closed her eyes, and let the slight heat sink in. Her skin heated up, and seemed to appreciate the feeling. She listened.

There wasn't a particularly large amount of noise being produced, but it was still something to expect from a massive city. The distant sounds of vehicles roaming the Planeptune streets could be heard at all time. People walked past at different paces. Some might've been going off to work. Maybe some of them were off for the day and were out by themselves or with their families. Maybe some were returning from the grocery store, delivering food to their household.

There were so many people in this city. And so many possibilities.

"So, now where do you want to go?", said IF.

"Umm… I think I'd like to walk around for a bit. Maybe just see the city again."

"Know any good spots?", asked Compa, beaming.

"N-Not really… I didn't really go out like this that much, so I… don't really know any good places to visit."

"That's okay! We'll all explore together! How 'bout that?"

"I don't have a problem. Got time to spare, better make the most of it, I guess.", said IF. "I should probably tell Histoire later…"

Rei nodded to herself. "I think that that's a great idea. Let's go!"

And so they started walking throughout the city, aiming to see some sights and overall have a nice day.

* * *

**Planeptune Basilicom, Ultradimension:**

"Everything seems to be in order here… Onto the next one."

In an office room situated near the Goddess living quarters, the flipping of paper could be heard, along with occasional mumbling.

"Hmmm…"

It was Histoire, working away at a few documents placed on the desk. She floated on her book, reading through the different pieces of parchment and assessing them in kind. She let out a long sigh, and looked at the entrance to the room. She looked slightly annoyed. Plutia was probably still sleeping in her bed, while she was here doing the work of a Goddess.

"I think I'll go wake her up." Histoire rose up into the air while sitting on her book and flew out of the room. She hovered a small way and found herself in the living quarters. She continued to float through the air, and hovered in front of Plutia's room. The door was slightly ajar, which saved Histoire the trouble of opening it. She floated through the gap, and saw that Plutia was resting in her large bed.

She looked like she was in a deep sleep. She had her head against a pillow at the opposite end of the bed and was clutching a plushie to herself. Histoire moved closer, and floated in front of Plutia's face. She was breathing slowly and had a still face, without any disturbances.

After a brief moment of observation, Histoire went to work. "Plutia…" No response. Nor any signs of waking. "Plutia… You need to wake up." Still no response. Histoire floated even closer to Plutia's face and placed her tiny hands against Plutia's left cheek.

She pressed at it while speaking. "Plutiaaa! I need you to wake up now! You have work to do!" Histoire then pulled at her cheek, which elicited a slight movement from Plutia. But not enough to wake her up. "Plutiaaaaaaa!" She had to do something else… What could she do?

Histoire lifted her right hand to support her chin while she looked about the room, thinking of what she could do. She rested her eyes on a table a small distance away from the bed. She saw two peculiar looking objects. Intrigued, Histoire floated to the table to inspect the objects of her interest. She took a closer look.

There were two of them, and they both looked to be the start of plushies. Only a bit of the bottom halves had been completed. One of them had blue and white shoes, along with white socks that reached up the leg, to the… middle-calf-ish section, or just lower, if Histoire was correct. Reaching a bit above the knees was a black skirt adorned with squiggly lines that were somewhat slim, and were turquoise in colour. Underneath the skirt was a pair of tight shorts that also reached above the knees, but below the skirt. They were teal.

The other plushie had long, grey jeans that covered the entirety of both legs. There was a pair of red and black sneakers with black socks reaching up and out of sight, covered by the jeans. Histoire knew that they were supposed to be of people, but she didn't know who, exactly. She had her suspicions, though…

Histoire came up with an idea. She grabbed each part of the incomplete plushies by a leg and carried them along with her while floating towards her target. She was next to Plutia's face again. "Wake up, Plutia. You need to work." No response.

"Suit yourself." Since the plushies weren't fully made, and were light in general, Histoire could move them around fast without issue. She had decided to swing them at Plutia's face rapidly. This was sure to wake her up. "Plutiaaaaa! Wake uuuuup!", said Histoire, pulling both hands back and forth to softly hit against Plutia.

Plutia started reacting, and started swiping her hand in front of her face. She tried to hit away the disturbances. "Wake up!"

Plutia opened her eyes and grabbed onto both objects, and was left dazed by the rude awakening. She stared at Histoire and blinked a few times. She then slowly sat up on the bed while yawning.

"Helloooooo, Histyyyyy… What just happeneeed?", spoke Plutia, wiping her eyes. She still had a grip on the plushies.

"I woke you up with the help of some objects."

"Objects? What objects?"

"I believe that you are currently holding them."

"I'm holding them?"

Plutia then looked at her hands while placing them in her lap. She recognized them both, and smiled warmly at them. "Oh… These…"

"Plutia, I need you to get out of bed and do some work!" Histoire had blocked Plutia's vision with herself.

"But I don't wannaaa..!"

"You have to! That's your duty as a Goddess!"

"But I can't do paperwork… It makes me sleepy…"

"Everything seems to make you sleepy!"

"Ahhhhhhh! I can't help iiiiiit..!"

"At least go out to do some quests! You should have no problem with those."

"But I'm still sleepyyyy…"

Histoire resigned herself to how troublesome Plutia could be a long time ago, and had to always make a compromise to get her to do something. She let out another sigh.

"Fine, then you can do a few of them later, once you are no longer tired."

"…Do I have to?"

"Yes! Otherwise, you'll lose the faith of the people, and subsequently, your Goddess abilities. You don't want that to happen, do you?"

"You're so cruel, Histy…"

"So that's a yes, then? Right?"

"Yeeeees… laterrr…", said Plutia, lying back down in her bed.

"Hmph, I would hope so. It is your duty, Plutia."

"I know, I knooooow… I said I'd do some later."

"I'll be holding you to that. Now, excuse me, but I have to do some more paperwork. Something that you should be doing."

"Thaaaank yooooou!", said Plutia, giving a wave in the direction of the door.

Histoire shut the door, leaving Plutia alone with her thoughts. Plutia, lying in her bed with her arms stretched out, was gazing at the ceiling with a neutral face. Her mouth was ever so slightly open. She raised her arms into the air, holding the plushies out in above her. "I wonder how they're doing…"

Plutia, who had been eager to befriend Renna and Gil, had started making these plushies on the day of their arrival. She wanted them to become her friends, and she hoped that these would push help them along. She hadn't continued working at them since that night. Since they left…

But she held no animosity towards them. That event probably pushed her even further in wanting to bring them to her… to the Goddesses side. Plutia sighed, and once again plopped her arms against the bedding. They were still out there, weren't they? They were in this dimension…

And they were with their two new companions. The Neptune from this dimension, and a girl named Uzume. They were travelling around this dimension, exploring the different nations and spending time together. Neptune and Uzume were trying to bring Renna and Gil over to their side. Plutia was hoping that they would succeed.

"I wonder… if they've been through Planeptune yet?" Plutia had thought about this before, about what would happen if she were to encounter them again. She even contemplated searching for them on her own… But she wasn't allowed to, she knew that. She couldn't interfere in any way. It was important that the four of them all explored together by themselves. Without the Goddesses interfering, preferably.

"I hope it doesn't take too long…" What would happen when they were done? Both groups would have to meet up at some point, surely? Surely? And it would probably be a surprise to Renna and Gil. Hopefully… they would listen to them. Hopefully they would've changed their plans. That would be nice.

Plutia closed her eyes and smiled to herself at the thought of everything playing out perfectly. With everyone ending up as friends, without having to fight each other. But what would happen to…

"What'll happen to Rei?"

* * *

**Planeptune City, Ultradimension, an hour later:**

"S-So, how are you two, um, finding this dimension?", asked Rei, still slightly nervous.

"It's pretty cool. There's a lot of tall buildings back in our one too, so I don't feel like this is too different.", said IF.

"Except that this dimension feels like it's a few decades older than our one!", started Compa. "To us, this technology seems almost retro. It's cool to see!"

Rei nodded. "That is very interesting to think about. About how what seems like the newest technology for us is seen as old, outdated technology to you."

IF shrugged. "I guess. But it is what it is."

They walked past a park and looked through it. There were a few trees in it, and there were people sitting here and there. They were doing all sorts of things. Resting in the shade, playing sport, having a picnic, flying a kite.

"So what do you do in your spare time, Rei?", asked Compa.

"Me? I, um, I don't really do much… I mostly just stay at home."

"But, what do you do at home?"

"Well, I… I had a little garden that I tend to."

IF raised an eyebrow. "Really now?"

"Yes. I-It's not much, but it's a nice little hobby for me. It's something for me to put effort into."

"That's so nice! I'd love to see it!", beamed Compa.

Rei's shoulders slumped. "It's… probably ruined now."

"Then… you can make a new one! Yeah!"

"I'll try… wherever I end up."

"I'm sure it'll be fine. You'll come out right.", said IF.

"Thank you for the reassurance…"

"Anything else?", continued Compa.

"I did watch TV. I enjoyed watching a few series or movies. It also let me keep up with the news."

"What sort of genre?", asked IF.

"M-Most things, really. I'm not r-really a fan of horror or thriller, so… other things."

"I can understand that."

"I also browsed the internet sometimes. I used to look at the news regarding games and the creators behind them."

"That's pretty interesting."

The trio passed through a busy part of the city with a lot of foot and vehicle traffic. There were quite a few shops with assorted goods. The major shopping centers were massive.

"Do you enjoy playing games?", asked Compa.

"Ummm… I would have to say yes, although I haven't really… played in quite a while. I don't know why, I just haven't gotten around to it."

IF brushed some of her out of her eyes. "This dimension does have online play, right?"

"Yes, it's had it for quite some time."

Compa pointed out towards a building. "Then let's go there! It'll be great for you!"

"An arcade? I'm down.", said IF.

"I-If you're fine with it, then I'm fine with it."

"Yessee! Let's hop to it!" They entered the arcade, where there was a wide assortment of things to try out. Racing games, shooting games, fighting games… They spent quite some time there. A few people gave Rei some looks while they walked past, but there wasn't anything too bad.

IF did notice very few people give Rei drawn out stares from a distance away. Whenever she would look at them, and they would hide. "Hmmm…"

"What's up, Iffy?"

"Nothing. Nothing's up, don't worry."

They continued to play at the arcade, and eventually left after they had their fun.

"I haven't been to something like this in… In years! Thank you so much.", said Rei.

Compa smiled. "Don't mention it!"

They continued to wonder the city. Around a half hour later, the three of them were by a large lake. IF and Rei leaned on a railing that overlooked the water,while Compa was getting drinks for all of them from a nearby vendor. The sun was low, and the water reflected the remnants of it's rays.

"I'm really thankful for you two.", started Rei. "Even though you two don't know me, and even though you know what I did in the past…"

"You turned over a new leaf. I can respect wanting to change for the better. You seem to have stuck with it, so I can't fault you in that."

"Thank you."

Just then, Compa returned with the drinks. They were all simple fruit juices.

Rei took her drink."Thank you Compa." Rei paused as she thought of a question. "Do you two know Plutia?"

IF continued looking out at the lake. "I know of her. She's friends with the "me" over here according to Neptune, but I haven't spoken to her a lot."

"Same! We know that she's a Goddess and that she's a great friend of Neptune's.", replied Compa.

"Well, she is a good person. She can get a bit weird at times, but… Overall, she's a really good person. She's kept in contact with me, and has visited me a couple of times."

"Oh, that's nice of her to do."

IF shifted around. "Wasn't she the one that… helped you calm down? When you were rampaging against us, right?"

"Y-Yes. She's been a good friend to me."

"Hmmm, that's cool." She looked out at the path they were on. There were trees lining it.

"Hey, Rei?", started Compa.

"Yes, Compa?"

"Can I call you "Ri-Ri"?"

"Huh?! "Ri-Ri"?"

"Yeah! Don't you think that it's a cute nickname?"

"I-I do…"

"Then I can call you that?"

"S-Sure…"

"Yay! Thanks, Ri-Ri!"

"Y-Yaaaay…"

Out of the corner of her eye, IF was looking at a particular tree. In the shadows of it, hardly visible, was the outline of a person. They were leaning out from behind it and were facing towards them. "Hey… Rei, you don't have some sort of fan group, do you?"

"What?! No, no, not one that I'm aware of! Why?"

"Just asking. And have you noticed anyone suspicious around you today? Anyone… paying you a lot of attention, besides us?"

"No, I haven't noticed anyone like that… W-Why?"

"Iffy, what's going on?"

"There's been someone, or some people, following us for a long time."

Rei's eyes widened. "What?!"

"Iffy, are you sure?"

"Yes. Don't look now, but they're hiding behind a tree to my North-West. I'm going to approach them."

"Iffy, are you sure that you should?"

"I-It could be dangerous! It could end badly!", said Rei.

IF smiled at them both. "I'll be fine. Wait here."

IF got up from her leaning position and walked forward. She made it look like she was going to approach the vendor that Compa bought the drinks from. She then turned to her left and walked towards the tree with the suspicious person. They must've noticed IF, as they left their hiding spot and ran in the opposite direction of IF. They were heading along the path towards the inner city.

"Alright, here we go!" IF smirked and then lowered her stance. She began to chase after the person who had been stalking them. She would have to be quick, since they weren't too far away from the city. A short distance away was a large crowd, as it was around the time for people to leave work. They ran along the path. IF was faster than the person she was chasing, but she wasn't sure if she'd catch up in time.

"Iffy!"

"A-Are we going? I guess we're going! We're going!"

IF looked around her and spotted a frantic looking Compa and Rei. They had begun to follow her. "Even though I said they should stay behind…" IF was gaining ground on the person, but they were very close to the crowd. "Dammit…" IF decided to analyze the features of the person, hoping that, if she lost them, she would be able to find them later.

Nothing seemed particularly stand out-ish about this person. It was a girl, first off. She seemed to be of average height and slim build. She had straight, shoulder length hair, light brown in colour. She wore standard Planeptune casual clothes. Nothing really odd, or anything that would rouse suspicion. They seemed like a normal person.

IF was very close to the person, and was almost in grabbing distance. She reached out… But was too late… Both IF and the girl who she was chasing, whoever she might be, were enveloped in the crowd. IF maneuvered through it for a few moments, hoping to find her. To no luck. Knowing that she wouldn't make any progress, IF exited the crowd and found Compa and Rei looking at her.

"Iffy! Are you okay?", asked Compa, rushing up to IF.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

Rei looked slightly out of breath. "What… happened?"

"I lost her in the crowd. The trouble is, she looks so… normal, that I can't find her in all these people. She's gone."

Compa and Rei sighed, with Compa placed a hand on IF's shoulder. "It's fine Iffy, sometimes it just doesn't work out."

"I know. Thanks, Compa." IF turned from smiling at Compa, to looking at Rei. "I think that you might have some sort of fan club after all."

"B-But… Why?! I don't do anything special, and I'm not some sort of celebrity!"

"Maybe it's because of your… status. Some people may have seen you from before and recognize you."

"You mean like a group of people is keeping track of her?", asked Compa.

"It's just a possibility. I think you may be in some degree of danger, Rei."

Rei gulped. "G-Great… Just what I needed… More publicity…" Rei looked down at her feet. Compa looked at IF and smiled at her in a hopeful manner. IF raised an eyebrow, and Compa signaled towards Rei with a tilt of her head. She rolled her eyes before turning to Rei. "Hey, Rei?"

"Y-Yes?!"

"Since you might be in danger, how would you like to stay over at our place for a while?"

Rei looked dumbfounded, allowing Compa to talk. "You'll be safe by us! IF is a reliable and trustworthy Guild member, so all she needs to do is call Histy, and you'll be able to!"

"Uhhh, umm, I don't know… I wouldn't want to be a trouble… And I hardly know you two!"

"I know, but Compa insists. She's quite the persistent person."

"Which means that you should just join us! It'll be fun!"

"But… But isn't my age a problem?" Compa and IF both looked at Rei with a confused manner.

"What do you mean, Ri-Ri?"

"You're a Goddess… Isn't age sort of irrelevant to you? And we're used to it."

"O-Oh… I've never thought about it like that… I-I used to get teased about my age a lot."

"Well we won't do that!", said Compa.

"There's really no reason to start anything like that. You seem like a decent person now, so we don't need to take any digs at you."

Rei looked very thankful. "Thank you…"

Compa nodded enthusiastically at Rei, while IF just gave a small smile. "I think we should get going. We don't want any more stalkers."

"Yessy! It's late, too, so we really should get going! We have to prepare supper."

"Do you two live together?", asked Rei.

"Yup! Iffy and I have lived together for a while!"

"We've been friends for our entire lives, so we've practically lived together for… forever. But anyway, we should go. I'll lead the way."

IF started walking forwards, with Compa quickly joining her. Rei stood for a while, looking at them both. These two were very kind to her…

She smiled to herself and trailed after them.

* * *

**A few hours later, Hyperdimension Planeptune:**

It was dark out. Rei was lying down on a couch with a blanket over her. She had ever so kindly been invited over to IF and Compa's apartment, and was allowed to stay over for… however long. Rei recalled what had happened since she arrived…

IF called Histoire and had a long conversation with her. She informed Histoire that Rei may be in danger, and reasoned with Histoire that Rei should stay with her and Compa. Histoire complied without much trouble since she knew how careful IF was. After that, not much really happened. Rei was tired from exploring the Planeptune of Ultradimension for most of the day, as were her two companions. Compa made a vegetable soup. It was a little cold outside, so it warmed them all up nicely. They had all cleaned up and had gotten dressed into their pajamas. Rei had bought some from a clothing shop on the way here, since she… didn't really have any anymore.

"A lot has happened today… It's almost unbelievable."

They spoke for a while before heading off for bed. Rei found out that Compa was a nurse who had completed her training. She had been studying for quite some time. Rei knew that IF was a Guild member, but she listened to her explanation with interest. IF did different quests for the Guild, whether it be procuring materials or slaying monsters. After that, they all decided to head off to be. Rei insisted that she sleep on the couch, since she was the guest. IF and Compa thought that it should work the other way around, but reluctantly complied.

So now, Rei was alone, in the dark, awake. She was looking up to the ceiling. This apartment was very homey. It had a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and three other rooms. Nothing too extravagant. It was nice.

Rei smiled to herself. Today had been… nice. She was lucky to have been treated so nicely by these two. Who knew that these two, who she had feared at first, would treat her so nicely?

Compa was very friendly. She gave her all to be a good person, and it was in no way an act. It was who she was.

IF was realistic, but also kind. She always had her eye out for danger, and was very resourceful. She was also the one to spot the person following them… No, IF had said that there were multiple people following them throughout the day.

Who were they? And were they really following Rei? That was… a very worrying thought. Very, very worrying. Had Rei not been so tired, she would surely be pacing up and down the living room.

"Time to sleep. At least, try to sleep."

Rei closed her eyes and pulled the blanket further up her body. She started to slow down her breathing, and attempted to fall into a slumber for a good night's rest.

But what she found…

* * *

**Dream sequence:**

A dark tower loomed over the buildings, its intimidating aura present throughout most of the city. On one of the top floors was a throne room. A large hallway, empty of furniture save a large, dark throne decorated with cyan. The colour of the nation.

A long blue carpet reached out towards it, stopping at the foot of the throne, where group of people kneeled. There were four of them overall. They seemed to be adorned in laboratory coats. They kneeled for their ruler.

Sitting with one leg over the other, and an arm pressed against armrest, sat the CPU of Tari. Rei Ryghts.

"Welcome, welcome, you're all FINALLY here.", spoke the CPU.

"Yes, my lady. We apologize for the wait.", replied a member of the congregation. It was a womanly voice.

"Spare your apologies. I have summoned you all here for a reason, and ohhhhhh, a good one it is!" None of the four replied, knowing that their ruler would continue. "I'll be having you form part of a special team of researchers. I require that you conduct a very… important experiment. And by important, I mean for me. So I expect it done to my standards, got that?"

"Yes, my lady.", replied a different voice. This time, it was a man.

"What would you have us do, ma'am?", asked another voice. It was also a man.

Rei looked down at them, smirking. Not like they could see her, anyway. "I desire a CPU Candidate. A sibling, if you must call it that." All four people suddenly looked up at Rei. Her piercing cyan eyes glared down at them.

"A… A sibling, my lady?", asked the last person. This one was a woman.

"Yes. That is what I JUST said."

A brief silence fell over the room. "Forgive my asking, ma'am, but why is that?", said the second man.

"Oh, I don't know. I feel like it. So I expect it to happen."

"Is such a thing possible?", asked the first woman.

"Yes. It is because I said it is. I have always known that it was possible, ever since the day I became the glorious ruler I am today. So the real reason I want one is because… Well, I truly do want it. It seems fit for a nation of mine, one that holds dominion of the entire world. And for good reason, I DID protect everyone from ALLLLL the dangerous threats out there. I'll ask you all. Doesn't it seem fitting? A nation of such proportions should have multiple CPUs, right? It DESERVES such privileges, RIGHT?"

"Yes, my lady.", replied the first man.

"Exactly. It's good that you are aware of that. But how are you going to accomplish such goals, I wonder? ANY SUGGESTIONS?"

A silence fell over the attendants again. Rei allowed them time to think. "We can't use people from our city, my lady. I am sure that you already know that.", said the second man.

"Yes. I do already know that."

"We could use people from outside the city.", suggested the first woman.

"From the villages nearby. The one's outside of your gracious protection.", continued the second woman.

"The closest one in particular, if I may suggest one, ma'am.", said the second man.

"I was just thinking that. The closest village, in that forest not far from my nation. Have it done, and quickly. Discreetly."

"Yes, my lady.", replied all four attendants.

"Good."

The scene shifted, and Rei was now looking out of a giant window. A person was behind her. "Yes? What is it?", spoke the ruler.

"My lady… We have some news concerning the experiments."

Rei, who was standing up, spun around to face her attendant. It was the second man from the first scene. Rei looked very intrigued, and her eyes were wide. "What about it? Give me the news."

The man stayed silent for a moment before speaking. "It… Well, ma'am, it hasn't been successful. Yet."

"Yet? So you're telling me that it STILL isn't done? After how PATIENT I've been?"

"…Yes, ma'am."

"Useless…", muttered Rei. "What's the hold up?"

"None of the children survive, ma'am. They can't handle the strain…"

"Then do something about that! Use any means necessary! I don't care how or what you do, just have it done? Got it?!"

"We are working as fast as we can, ma'am."

"Well work faster, AND harder! I'll need results, but I won't have any failures for a Candidate, understand?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Good."

The scene shifted once more, twirling in the darkness until shapes fell into place. Rei was once again seated on her throne, with an attendant below her. "What do you have to tell me this time? Speak.", commanded Rei.

"My lady…", started the first woman from before. "We have… news."

"I already know that. Go on."

"Thank you... Firstly, we still have no successful instances…"

"That is NOT what I wanted to hear, you know?"

"…But we have come up with an idea that should work. Although… We'll need your… Contribution."

Rei raised an eyebrow at this, but her curiosity was piqued. "Do go on. How am I supposed to contribute, huh?"

"As you know, we have been using CPU Memories to try convert the children. But none of them have succeeded, no matter what we did to them… No matter how we… treated them."

"Yes, yes…"

"We've tried many other obscure methods, anything that might hold a semblance of merit. To no results, regrettably."

"Yes, regrettably. Buuuuut?"

"…But we haven't thought about… if I may say, "using" your cells, my lady."

"Intriguing. Continue."

"We had the idea of taking samples of your DNA and implanting it into a suitable host, in hopes that it would convert them into a CPU Candidate."

"That would make them directly related to me, in a way… They would be like my genuine sibling! Yes, do that, I'm willing to offer some of myself for this to happen."

"Thank you… But there is another thing…

"Another thing. Great. It better not be bad news."

"That is purely up to you…"

"Hmm. Do go on."

"We have found out that among the group of children, there is a pair of siblings, quite close in age. Only two years apart."

"Oh?"

"One is a girl, one is a boy."

"And how is this relevant?"

"We have come up with the idea of "splitting the load", if I can call it that. We would implant part of your DNA into the girl, and the other half into the boy, so the strain may be lightened for each of them. We also plan on… maturing them, to make them even more likely to survive."

"That does make sense, yes."

"Our hopes are that we lighten the load across two siblings. Not only would they be directly related to each other, but also directly related to you. They have an increased chance of survival, and them being siblings increases that even more. Them being bonded by blood helps with that."

"I would hope so. It would also make things much easier."

"Then, we subject them to the process. If I may speak frankly, my lady…"

"You may."

"…This is our best shot at this. We have tried many things, with no luck. This is a great opportunity to succeed. Although…"

"Although?"

"We have no idea if the siblings will differ from regular CPUs. Normally, CPUs are made from the CPU Memories. Since this will be the first time this has ever happened, we have no idea how they will end up."

"When it succeeds, you mean?"

"When it succeeds, my lady. We have no information on that department."

Rei smiled and got up from her seat. "I'm up for it. You seem to be very confident in this, so I will allow it to take place. There are also numerous benefits to this, as you have said. So yes. Make it happen."

"As you will, my lady."

"One last thing…"

"Yes, my lady?"

Rei smiled at the woman, and slowly walked down the stairs, to be on level ground with her. "Show me the pair of siblings… I want to see who shall be graced with a part of me. I want to see them."

"It will be done, my lady."

"Good, good. Right away."

"Yes, my lady. Please, follow me."

"Good. I am suddenly VERY excited! Oooooh, it's finally happening! This had better work. It had better."

"It will, my lady."

"Yes, it will. Because I said so. Because I said that I will have them. I will have my Candidates. A brother and a sister. My new family."

* * *

**Yes. Some pretty important information, I'd say! Would you say? I hope so.**

**And yeah, Rei hanging out with IF and Compa from Hyperdimension. How'd that seem? Please let me know what you thought of it! **

**With Plutia… How was that? I hope I showed how she felt about what happened nicely, and explained it well.**

**And how'd you guys find the dream sequence? I hope it was alright. ****Some information on the past, however vague it was. Was it intriguing? I hope so. ****I have said before that more of that will come, but that's for the future! I know how I'm going to incorporate it, and... It probably won't happen soon.**

**I can tell you that some pretty exciting stuff has to happen before that occurs, and MAN OH MAN will it be really cool! Like, seriously! ****I really mean that, by the way. Some of the future events are PRETTY cool. At least I think so.**

**But let me know if the rest of the story has been exciting, intriguing, and good to read! Any reviews, views, opinions, advice, ANYTHING is appreciated! I really mean that. Really.**

**But thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	19. Just Observers

**Hello again! **

**This is late, but I can explain. There was a great deal of planning that had to go into this chapter, as I set up a few things throughout it. **

**I won't say too much, but there is a lot of new information in this chapter. On the past, and the present.**

**But back to it, ya know?**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 18:**

It was early morning in the Lowee of Ultradimension. And it was a bit cold, as usual. Neptune was fidgeting around under her blanket, rolling on her mattress. She eventually woke herself up. "…Guess I'm awake now. These chapters usually start off like this, don't they? In the morning, with us waking up?"

She slowly picked herself up from the floor and stood up. Her three other companions were still soundly asleep. "Yup. They sure do." Neptune stretched her body, reaching up to the roof. She leaned to the left and right and bent down to touch her toes. "That feels better."

What would she do? She was the only one awake, and thus, there was nobody around to talk to. Well, besides Croire. Didn't she say she wanted to talk a bit?

Neptune saw that Renna turned over on her mattress. She slowly opened her eyes after a few seconds, spotting Neptune standing up. "Mornin', Renny.", greeted Neptune. She spoke quietly, as to not wake the others up.

"Mor…ning, Nep…tune."

"I'm going to go to the kitchen. You can join me if ya want.", said Neptune, with accompanying hand gestures.

"Mmmhmm…"

"See ya in a bit."

Neptune quietly left the room and made her way to the kitchen. Once there, she opened up a cupboard and pulled out a box of cereal. "Oooh, this looks nice." She proceeded to make herself a bowl of cereal. The cereal consisted of many small, ring-like pieces of assorted colour.

She silently ate while leaning on the counter. She could hear some of the outside world. The usual commotion of the city. Nothing special. Renna came walking through after a few minutes, wiping her eyes with her hand.

"You feeling good?", questioned Neptune.

"Uh-huh. I'm A-okay!", said Renna, raising a thumb in confirmation. "Where's that cereal?"

"In the cupboard next to the fridge. I'll get it out again."

"Thanks."

Not long after, Renna was leaning on the same counter as Neptune, eating away at her cereal.

"Yo, Renny?"

"Yeah?"

"You play any games?"

"I haven't in a while. I did like playing them, though, in the past."

"What sorta games?"

"Ummm… well, it was a while ago. I guess… mostly platformers? There were some sports games, but I wasn't really into those."

"Was… that it?"

"I… I guess. I do like games, and I would like to play more of them, but I haven't had the time to do so for… a while."

"Huh. Well, we have time now! How 'bout's that?"

"I would like that! Although, I don't think I'd be too good at them…"

"That's fine! You can learn along the way."

"And it'll help pass the time!"

"Yeah." Neptune got up from leaning and tapped both of her hands on the counter twice. "Let's get started, then."

They both walked over to the television and sat down in front of it, on the floor. Neptune was on the left, and Renna was on the right.

"Before that, Renny…"

"Yup? Another question?"

"Uh-huh. It's a little outta nowhere, but you don't mind that, right?"

"Right."

"Coolio. So… What are your parents like?"

Renna really was caught off guard by this. "Wow, okay. That really IS out of nowhere…"

"Yeah, sorry. It kinda just… came to me. So I thought, why not! Ya know?"

"I know."

"Yeah!"

"Yeah."

Neptune looked at Renna hopefully, and constantly smiled at her.

"Well… Let me think… So, first off… They're no longer with us."

"As in..?"

"Yeah. They're gone."

"I'm so sorry to hear that…"

"It's fine. It was a while ago, so we've dealt with all the emotions."

"Me too! I don't even know where my parents are, or if they're even still alive."

"That's… not that great."

Neptune shrugged. "What can you do? But let's not get all sad! Go on, tell me what they were like!"

"Alright, just let me think…"

Just then, Uzume slid the door open. She entered into the room, meandering over to the kitchen. "'Sup guys."

"Mornin'."

"Hello."

Uzume opened up the cupboard and pulled out the same cereal as Neptune had. "Watcha guys talkin' about?"

"Why dontcha come find out?", said Neptune.

Uzume walked over, bowl and spoon in hand, and sat down by Neptune and Renna. "Well, guess we're having a full blown chat now.", stated Renna, readjusting herself to face both of her companions. Neptune did the same.

"What were you guys gonna do?", asked Uzume.

"Play games after some talking. But it's fine, we can talk."

"And… Now that I'm here, what's the topic?"

Neptune looked at Uzume meaningfully. "Renna's parents."

Uzume blinked a few times and set her bowl down on the floor beside her. "Woah… Okay then. I'm guessing this is one of your "It just came to me" moments?"

"You know me so well!"

"Uh-huh."

"But anyway, please continue, Renny."

"Thanks… I am still thinking, so please bear with me…"

"Not a problem.", said Uzume.

Renna spent a few moments thinking. She could vividly remember how her parents acted and looked, but wanted to correctly describe them. And not give anything away. "Well… Who should I start with?"

"How about your mother?", suggested Neptune.

"Okay then. Hmmm... She was a wonderful person. Her name was Eos."

"Huh. That's fancy.", commented Neptune.

"I guess it is. Like I said, she was wonderful. She really enjoyed life. And nature. Guess that's where I got it from… She was a kind, hopeful, but realistic person. She was great at talking, and was very smart. She had a beautiful, loving smile. It was confident, in a way. As if everything would be alright. She was strong, as well. She spoke for herself, and always helped when she could.

She believed in what was right. She would sing to me and my brother, and she would groom my hair. I got my hair from her… I-It being long and straight, I mean! And the… light brown parts. She was good with her hands. She enjoyed her woodwork, and would spend hours crafting different parts and decorations. Our house had plenty of them. They were beautiful.

I remember watching her. She'd tell me stories while working away at it. About life in general, and about her and my father. They were quite skilled in combat. They had been on a few adventures, and helped protect the village when need be. My mother always encouraged me to have a good relationship with my brother. I think that made a big impact in my life. And… I'm glad she did."

Renna looked down at the floor. She was smiling sadly. "I really miss her." Her eyes looked watery.

"Y-You okay, Rensy?", said Uzume. She placed a hand on Renna's shoulder.

"You don't have to go on if you don't want to.", said Neptune. "Sorry about that…"

"No, it's fine, it's not your fault…", said Renna, wiping away at her eyes. "It's fine. I could go on and on, but that would take too long. There are many, many more things to say. All in all, she was amazing. A great role model, a caring mother, and a strong person."

"I'm sure she was. Must've been a looker, too, judging from you and Gil.", nudged Neptune, wiggling her eyebrows. She was attempting to lighten the mood.

"Y-Yeah…"

"Really, Nepsy? Seriously?"

"I mean I'm not wrong, am I?!"

"…Let's just move on. What about your dad?"

"My dad... His name was Anatole."

"That's… also pretty fancy. Must run in the family?"

"I… suppose so. He was a positive person, but a realistic one. Like my mother. He was confident in himself and the people he had faith in. He always pushed us to be our best, and would help us to do so. He always went on about how he would train us when we were older. He was a great motivator. He knew how to light a fire in people's hearts. And he never gave up on us. He would never give up on us.

He was passionate about his family. He knew when to guide us, and when to let us find our own way. Similar to my mother, he also knew what he should teach us in terms of what we believe in. He also gave us good morals. They both did. He always said that Gil and I should never grow apart. That we should appreciate each other as family and as people."

Renna placed her left hand to her face, brushing her hair to the side. "And I'm so happy he did. I'm so, so happy that he did." Her eyes were teary again.

Uzume and Neptune were both looking at her sympathetically.

"Maybe you can tell us some of their stories another time?", asked Neptune.

"Or just more about them?", added Uzume.

"I'd love to do that, someday."

Neptune nodded and then crawled forward to the cabinet. She pulled out a particular game, and looked at Uzume and Renna. "You guys up to play a fighting game? We can all play, so it'll be fun!"

"Yeah, sure.", replied Uzume.

"That sounds fun!", replied Renna.

"To the brawl we go!"

The three all played around in a particular Lowee fighting game. Each opponent had three lives, and the objective was to knock them off of the stage. It was quite competitive. They went about this for a long time.

Eventually, a sliding door could be heard. "What's… going on?", asked Gil.

"Oh, hi Gil!", said Neptune, turning her head slightly towards Gil. Her eyes never left the screen.

"We're just… KINDA in the middle of a game here… Come on…", said Uzume.

"It's fun! But it's… ALSO kind of intense!", finished Renna.

Gil looked at the screen. Three characters were running around, hitting and dodging each other. "Seems like it."

"Wanna join?", asked Neptune.

"I think I'll just watch for now."

"Suit yourself."

He sat down behind his companions, silently observing the gameplay. This continued for a while.

"I think… that's enough…", said Neptune.

Uzume leaned back on her arms. "I lost count of the amount of games we played."

"Me too. But that doesn't matter! It was really fun to play a game again, especially that one!", said Renna.

"It looked like it.", said Gil.

Neptune turned the console off, along with the television. "Great session, you guys. We should do that again sometime."

"I agree. Maybe with all of us, next time?", questioned Uzume, aimed at Gil.

"Yeah, yeah, next time."

Renna smiled and stood up. "So… I've gotta go check up on something today! So… yeah!"

Gil looked at her. "Is it your "secret project"?"

"Maaaaaaybe."

"Oooooh, cool.", said Uzume.

"Yeah, it's so coooooool. I'd just hate to not know what it is. Isn't that right, Gilly?", teased Neptune. She was nudging him with her right elbow.

Gil didn't speak, but looked off at a wall with half-lidded eyes, constantly being nudged.

"And I think I should go alone today.", said Renna.

Everyone turned to face her. "Whyyyyyy?", asked Neptune.

"Well… I'm not saying that I want to, but it will take up some time. I'd hate to have to make you guys wait around doing nothing, while I'm… busy."

Uzume scratched the back of her head. "That… does make sense, I suppose. As long as you know where to go."

"Are you sure about this?", asked Gil.

"Positive! You know me! I'll be fine."

"Don't take longer than you have to, please."

"I won't. It won't be the whole day. Probably."

"Hopefully."

"Exactly. So… I'd better get ready to go."

Renna gave a playful salute and then retreated into the bedroom.

Gil stood up. "I'm going to go make breakfast."

"Ooh! Go eat the cereal with the colourful circle things!", exclaimed Neptune, raising a hand into the air.

"Why that one?"

"Because that's what the rest of us had. Sooooo, it would be cool if you did. I'm not forcing you, but just know that you'd be the only one who didn't."

Gil looked at her for a second, and could see Uzume sighing next to her. Gil proceeded to also let out a sigh. "Guess I know what I'm having.", he said, walking over to the kitchen.

Neptune leaned in towards Uzume. "I think he's warming up to us." Gil peeked from behind the fridge and gave her a half-lidded look. "See!" Once he made his bowl of cereal, he decided to stay in the kitchen to eat it, leaning against the counter.

Renna, unbeknownst to the others, was peeking through a small opening in the sliding door. She was fully dressed, and had decided to observe for a while. Neptune and Uzume had moved from sitting in front of the television to sitting around the kotatsu.

Neptune waved a hand in the air. "Why don't you come eat by us, Gilly? Come ooooon!"

Uzume nodded. "It's more comfortable here."

"See! Even Uzume backs me! You couldn't possibly want to deny our request, surely?!"

Gil, still leaning over, gave a quick glance to the bedroom door and walked over to the kotatsu. Renna observed how both Neptune and Uzume gave him a happy look when he sat down. She then slid the door open. "Done!" She was in her regular attire, and her necklace was shining, as always.

"Good luck out there!", waved Neptune. "And have fun!"

"Yeah. How long do you think you'll be gone?", asked Uzume.

"A few hours at most. I should be back just after midday, maybe."

Renna locked eyes with Gil, and gave him a wide smile. "See you later, Gilly."

"Yeah. See you later."

Renna walked through the room and stood in front of the spoke without facing the others. "And don't get into any trouble while I'm gone, alright? No funny business."

Uzume gave a friendly salute. "Don't worry about it. We'll all be fine."

"Me?! Funny business?! Never in your life!", said Neptune, in a mischievous tone.

"I'll try keep her in check, Rensy."

"Alright then…" Renna faced them. "See you all later."

"Byeeeee!", waved Neptune.

"See ya.", waved Uzume.

"Good luck, Renna."

Renna then left, closing the door behind her.

Neptune, Uzume and Gil all looked at the door for a few moments. Neptune then slapped her knees twice."Soooo, what's on the agenda for us today?"

Uzume looked at the ceiling. "I dunno, really. But maybe we should all get changed first."

"I'll stay here to finish eating. I'll get changed once you two are done.", said Gil.

With that, Neptune and Uzume got up and walked through into the bedroom. Neptune gave Gil a teasing wink. "And remember, no peeking!"

"Nepsy, shut up."

And the door slid closed. Gil sat down with a bowl in one hand and spoon in the other. "Neptune is so weird."

After a few moments of silence for Gil, the two girls revealed themselves, dressed in their usual attire. "Your turn, Gilsy."

Gil, who had just finished his bowl, placed it on the kotatsu. He stood up and walked between the two girls, heading into the room. He slid the door closed behind him, double checking it to make sure that it was actually fully closed. Nothing of note happened while he got changed. He wasted no time, and was promptly finished. "Done.", he said, as he once again entered the living room.

He noted that his bowl was no longer on the kotatsu. He looked to Neptune and Uzume, who took their same places under the kotatsu.

"Don't worry, I took it to the kitchen!"

Gil shifted his eyes to Neptune. "You did?"

"Yup! It's no use leaving dishes around like that."

"…Thanks."

"No problemo! Okay, but, like, what is actually there for us to do today?"

Uzume placed her hands behind her head. "I'd say questing, but… I'm not really in the mood."

"Ooooh, I know! How about you try doing that dream-thingy of yours!", offered Neptune.

Uzume looked around. "Uhhh… I dunno… I still need some practice." Gil looked at her, and then to the floor, feeling a little bad for denying her request a few days ago.

Neptune leaned forward. "Oh, come ooooon! You won't be able to practice on anyone else, so you kinda have to show us!"

"That's… true…" Uzume looked towards Gil with her head somewhat looking down.

"Sorry…" He truly did feel bad.

Uzume nodded to herself. Neptune looked between the two of them, and then came up with an idea. "Can't you just do it on yourself? Haven't you been doing it like that before, for practice?"

"W-Well, not… exactly. It's more like, I've been using the ability, and I can feel that I am doing it, but I haven't tried doing it to myself. I don't want to make any mistakes."

"Well now's a good chance as any! You have a proper bed to sleep on, so why not give it a try? Pleeeeeeease?"

"I-I don't know…"

"Listen, you don't even have to show us your "perfect world" or whatever. Show us… hmmm… Oh, how about something with your previous adventures!"

"I could… probably do that, yeah."

"And… It would let Gil see a bit of your experiences! To truly see what it was like. Wouldn't you like to find out more about Uzume, Gilly?" Uzume looked between her two companions nervously.

"Only if you're comfortable.", said Gil.

Uzume thought about this for a while. "I'll… do it, but I'm just thinking about what I should show you two."

Neptune placed a finger to her chin. "What do you think he'd like to see? Something serious, funny, or maybe a bit… scandalous?"

"S-Shut up, Nepsy!"

"How about that time in that barrel bath, huh?"

"Nooo! I won't! That's so embarrassing!"

Gil observed the two bicker for a few moments. Neptune teased away at Uzume, who vehemently tried to get Neptune to stop talking.

"Fine… Not something like that, then…", muttered Neptune.

"Y-Yeah! Not… something like that!", glared Uzume. She turned her eyes to Gil and felt her face turn slightly red.

"You're so embarrassed, Uzume!", said Neptune.

"Anyone would be after what you just said, dammit!"

"Okay, okay! Hold your horsebirds, I'll stop."

"Yeah, you better…"

After a few more moments of calming down, Uzume spoke. "S-So… Gilsy… W-What would you like to see?"

"What about the other you? I'm interested in seeing more of that."

"Ya see! Gil would never want to suggest anything bad!", interrupted Neptune.

Uzume glared at her. "You were the one suggesting things!"

"Are you comfortable doing that?", asked Gil.

Uzume took a more serious face. "Yeah, I can. I can do that. Just be prepared."

"Even I haven't seen this, so it's new for the both of us, Gilly!", said Neptune. "You said before that we won't be able to interact with anything while we're watching?"

"Yeah. You're just an observer."

"Alrighty then. Let's get to the bedroom, shall we?"

The three of them got up and re-entered the bedroom. Uzume walked towards her bed and got under the covers. "I'll just… lie down in my bed." Gil and Neptune both sat on her right side. "Maybe… If I relax while I'm trying to use the ability, I can kinda… make myself fall asleep?"

"That could work!", said Neptune. "Maybe we could try to make you fall asleep?"

"I don't know if that'd help, Nepsy."

"I'm trying to think of ways to help, at least."

"I know. Umm… I think I'll just try to use the ability for now." Uzume closed her eyes, and took a softer face. Neptune let out small giggles upon seeing her do that. Uzume's face started to strain, and she opened her eyes. "I can't fall asleep if you're doing that, Nepsy."

"Sorry, sorry."

Uzume closed her eyes again. She started breathing slowly, and her chest could be seen moving in rhythm with it. Neptune leaned in towards Gil and cupped a hand around her mouth. "We're probably going to have to wait a few minutes. I'm sure we'll know when she's done it."

Gil nodded in response. Sure enough, they waited a few minutes. Ten minutes passed, with no sign of anything. But then a small glow started to form by Uzume's chest. Neptune and Gil widened their eyes upon seeing it, and Neptune leaned towards it to get a better look at it. On the opposite side of Uzume, a small swirling portal formed. Neptune and Gil both looked at each other, and silently agreed to approach it. They stood up in front of it, and entered.

* * *

**Lowee City:**

Renna was wandering through the city at her own pace. She constantly had a small smile on, and enjoyed looking at all the buildings. This area wasn't old, like the area with Dusty's shop. The architecture throughout the city was all similar, but there were slight differences that told them apart.

The area she was in was more like a business district, as there weren't as many stalls around. It also looked like there were more people going off to work. Renna looked up at the sky. She spotted a group of birds flying overhead, gliding through the air. There were a few clouds in the sky, but it was still as bright as usual. And yet it was still cold.

She walked through what seemed to be a long street, with many well established stores and work areas. Offices, IT headquarters, game developers, and many others. Although not as flashy as Planeptune, Lowee still had semi-tall buildings. They weren't as intimidating, so it was a nice atmosphere to be around in. She passed a convenience store and decided to go inside.

The interior was more like what Renna was used to. Aisles of different food, magazines, and other assorted items for any person to choose from. She didn't intend to buy anything, but only to look around.

"…incident the other day in the nation of Planeptune."

Renna, who had been looking through a particular aisle, suddenly darted her head towards the source of the noise. She spotted a TV mounted on a wall above the cash register. A news reporter was giving information, and had said something that caught Renna's attention. She focused on it, listening intently.

"Investigations pertaining to the sudden disturbance that occurred during a seemingly normal day in Planeptune are still ongoing. We've received no official report from the Basilicom, although our informers tell us that they have stated that they, too, are investigating the incident." The screen changed from viewing the reporter to pictures of the scene. "We've received a few eye witness accounts of the incident."

Renna's eyes widened, and she had an intense glare.

"None of them were reportedly very close during the incident, but we'll share what we've heard…" The pictures changed after a few seconds. At first, it was of an abnormally large crack in the ground. That was where it first started, with that girl… Plutia. It shifted to another impact zone, a different part of the road. It was almost like a crater. That's where Renna had lifted up a piece of the ground.

"Some of them say that they could hear screaming and shouting from this location. Apparently, it seemed as if there was a battle brewing." It shifted to the side of a building, where parts of the exterior were concaved. That's where she had dealt with the other Raven… The one they'd first met.

"They then say that there were sounds of combat and magic. According to a source, it sounded as if a large volume of water had suddenly appeared." Another crater, where she had been pinned down. It then panned across the whole scene. Many cracks were present across the road, and the area was blocked off to the public.

"A person told us that they'd even seen the battle from a distance. They said that there were many figures flying around this area, fighting each other. One, in particular, seemed to be fighting against the rest of them, and that all participants were incredibly fast. They even went as far as saying that it could've been the Goddesses, but unfortunately, there is no definite proof to back these claims."

It shifted to a burnt house. Rei's house. "Nearby tenants may think that the fire that occurred at this house on the same day may somehow be related to the events, but there is yet to be any relation." Renna kept watching the screen. "But that's all that we have on this event. We know that it was not a natural disaster, as more of the city would have been affected. But who would do such a thing? There seems to be no reason behind it, and no further events have occurred to follow up on this. We'd love to hear what you, the people, think. What are your opinions on the event? Is the city under potential threat? And do you think that the futu-"

Renna left the store, walking out of it at a brisk pace.

"Of course something like that would happen…"

So the Basilicom was investigating, huh? That was an obvious cover up. The Goddesses were well aware of it, along with both of the Histoire's. And probably some close workers…

But it meant that… They were probably up to something. There was no way that they weren't doing anything. They had to be doing something. But unfortunately for Renna and Gil… They had no idea what the Basilicom was doing. But, according to the report, they were doing something. Something that they, again, didn't know.

"Maybe it's a good thing that we're lying low for a while." Renna continued to walk through the streets. "But enough of that for now, I have a meeting with Dusty."

* * *

**Uzume's dream:**

Neptune and Gil were greeted by a shattered sky and decrepit buildings. They were standing in the middle of what seemed to be a road, with buildings on either side.

"What is this place?", asked Gil. "Is this…"

Neptune nodded slowly. "Yup. It's the Zero Dimension. Or at least, kinda." Everything was dark, and the sky was purple and ominous, with blue cracks running along it. "A broken world. I remember this place."

"It really is how she described it."

"Now imagine living here for a very, very long time."

"I… can imagine that."

"We should move."

"Yeah."

Neptune and Gil walked through the streets. Even the roads were broken and misshaped, with some levels being lowered or upheaved, and parts of buildings having fallen over onto them.

Neptune pointed up. "Looks like we gotta jump this." There was a large section that was elevated above the edge of the road, but it seemed to be the only path.

"I'll climb it first.", offered Gil.

Neptune smiled at this. "How noble of you, making it easier for little old me? Trying to get into my good books?"

Gil gave a small smile and a roll of the eyes. He started climbing. He grabbed onto different parts of the road that jutted out. Large grooves that he could hold onto, broken pipes, anything.

"Just a little more."

"Did you say something?", asked Gil, as he was climbing. He was nearly there.

"I said you're nearly there! Just a little more!"

He gripped the top of the road and lifted himself upwards. "I'm up. Think you can jump high enough for me to grab you?"

"Why of course! I can jump like a… wallaby!" Gil knelt down on one knee at the edge of the road, waiting.

"Alley-oop!" Neptune shot upwards into the air, heading straight towards Gil. She started to slow down, and threw her hands out in front of herself. Gil reached down to grab onto her arms. Neptune grabbed onto his right arm with both hands while Gil pushed against the ground with his other hand.

"Ooh… That's kinda high up. Don't drop me, Gilly! I don't want to hurt my cute little butt!"

"Are you alright there?"

"Yup! Alrighty-tighty!"

"I'm going to pull you up now. Grab onto something when you're close enough."

"Aye-aye!"

Slowly, Gil pulled his right arm upwards. He didn't want to go too fast, in case he caused Neptune to scrape against any parts that stuck out.

"Almost there…", he said.

"I can grab onto something! Give me a bit." Neptune let go with her left hand and reached upwards. She grabbed onto the top of the road. "You can let go now."

Gil did as such, and was lying prone on the road. He closed his eyes for a bit, sighing, with his head reaching over the edge. When he opened his eyes, he found that Neptune was still hanging there. Her hands were still gripping the road on either side of Gil's face. She was looking directly up towards Gil, smiling at him. "Feeling okay there, sleepyhead?"

"Why haven't you pulled yourself up yet?"

"What, can't I hang out with you?"

Gil gave another small smile at her, closing his eyes for a brief moment, only to find that Neptune had slightly pulled herself upwards. Which, in turn, lowered the distance between them a bit. "This is like one of those situations you find in cliché visual novels, right?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"And that's fine. But anyway, please scooch over, unless you want a Nep landing on you."

Gil retracted himself away from the edge, standing up. Neptune then flipped herself over the edge and onto the road, performing a front flip in the process. "I coulda done that myself, but I appreciate the help, Gilly."

"It's fine."

Neptune gave him a small smile. "Let's continue forward."

They constantly looked around them. There were monsters in the streets, but they could neither see nor hear the two companions. "It's just like Uzume said…", muttered Gil.

"Yup! We can only watch. It's like a cutscene!" There was a distinct path that they had to travel, so they didn't get lost throughout the city, luckily. Neptune stopped and used her hands as mock-binoculars. "Hey, I think that's them in the distance! Come on, let's go!"

Neptune ran forward, with Gil following, to where they found what they were looking for. There was a large circular platform with a small gap separating it from the road. Neptune and Gil both jumped it, and then Gil followed Neptune to the side of the platform where they could observe the coming events. At first, it was just Uzume standing there. She had her eyes closed and her arms to her side.

"I think this is the part where we observe.", whispered Neptune. Gil nodded, and watched what unfolded before him.

"I never expected they'd try to revive me like this. As usual, Nepsy just never gives up, does she?", said Uzume. She wasn't speaking to anyone in particular.

"She… She really did die…", said Gil. He already knew this, and he didn't doubt Uzume, but it was still disturbing to hear.

"Yup. She sure did. But we got her back in the end, so it's fine." A dark figure started to form on the opposite side of the platform. "There she is! The primary antagonist!", pointed Neptune. Gil followed where she was pointing to. The person who appeared was an identical copy of Uzume in terms of their hairstyle, fashion sense, and body.

This was Kurome, the other part of Uzume. But instead of having white as the main colour and orange as the second, with vibrant red hair, Kurome had black as her main colour, with dark blue as her secondary colour, and also being her hair colour.

She only had one hair clip, and it was orange, not black. She had a black body suit that was under her clothes, fully covering her midriff and areas exposed by her arms and legs. Every single article of clothing was the same in design, save the swirl mark on the tie. While Uzume's was more circular, Kurome's was sharper, and square shaped.

Uzume's eyes were fully formed, and orange. But Kurome's eyes weren't fully formed. It was dark blue, with a few orange lines swirling around it. She looked at Uzume with unadulterated hatred.

"However, I'll be the one to be reborn. I won't just hand it over to "Me".", spoke Kurome. She spoke more methodically, although the pure anger could be heard through her voice.

"I don't plan on givin' it up to "Me" either. Since you've died once and gotten outta the delusion, you feel this share energy too, right?", said Uzume, who had turned to face her counterpart. She had a confident smile on.

"What of it? Even if I've gotten out of the whirlpool of delusion, and lost the benefit of negative energy, my hatred won't disappear.", declared Kurome. Her eyes narrowed, and she also had a small, confident smile. Kurome continued, turning her smile into an angry frown. "As long as there's hatred, I will exist. You can't possibly win, you're not even a fully realized person. Your chances are zero."

"—Then I, Uzume Tennouboshi, will change that zero!"

They then rushed at each other. Both of them used the same type of megaphone as weapons. They met at the middle and threw fists. They dodged back and forth, shooting sound waves at each other when far away enough to do so. They would each form drills on an arm and strike at each other, clashing and deflecting off each other.

"So you didn't know that this happened?", asked Gil.

"Well… I knew that something happened, but I didn't know what exactly. So this battle is new to me." Neptune looked a bit sad while gazing out at the ensuing battle.

"You okay, Neptune?"

"W-Wah?! Yup, fine and dandy! Just reminiscing, is all!"

They both looked so desperate. Even when they'd take a heavy blow, the both of them would keep fighting on. They both grit their teeth, and they shouted as they struck each other, showing their teeth off as they did.

Neptune and Gil silently observed the fight. It truly was how Uzume described it. No holes barred. They were fighting with everything they had. They both separated, and glared at each other. Each of them had bruises and cuts all over their bodies, and they both looked out of breath. Kurome was smirking.

"…Tch! Guess with havin' your existence on the line, you're pretty desperate to win!", said Uzume, breathing heavily.

"Of course I am. I've waited decades for this day! I won't give it up to the likes of "Me"!", said Kurome, also breathing heavily.

"Rrgh...! Hatred can fuel someone's strength by this much…?"

Uzume then seemed to realize something, as if she was thinking deeply about something. After a few moments, she also brandished a smirk. They rushed at each other again, fighting for their existence.

"Kurome waited decades for this… Decades…", said Neptune.

"So… Uzume must've suffered for a long time as well."

"They both did."

"Yeah. They both did."

The fight continued, with each person getting more battered and bruised as time went on. They separated again, but this time, neither of them spoke. They both seemed to be thinking about something.

They were breathing incredibly heavily at this point, with even more injuries present on them. Neither of them were smiling anymore. They kept fighting.

Gil observed. They'd both been through so much, hadn't they? They both went through the same ordeal at first, and now they were fighting each other. Even though they were a part of each other.

The battle seemed to be drawing to a close, with either side being close to defeat.

Kurome went in for the kill. She shot out a few sound waves while moving towards Uzume, which Uzume had to dodge. Kurome followed her dodge with haste, readying her right fist with a drill. She jumped into the air, aiming to overpower Uzume.

"You're done, "Me"!"

Uzume looked up just in time and reacted by reaching her left arm out towards the drill. She met it with the palm of her hand, causing her to feel immense pain. She then clasped Kurome's fist and pulled her towards the floor. Kurome landed on her feet right in front of Uzume, but wasn't prepared enough.

Uzume quickly brought her right fist back, and thrust it forward at incredible speed.

"Yeah, you're right! I am!"

The fist made contact with Kurome, lifting her off her feet. The impact was so intense that you could see the air moving behind Kurome because of it.

Kurome and Uzume were leaning towards each other, only inches apart. Kurome landed on her feet, and they both stayed like that for a while. Kurome's legs eventually gave in, and she had to fall onto one knee.

Uzume stood over her, looking at her. Kurome looked angry, but not just at Uzume. At herself, as well. For not winning.

"Dammit… Dammit!", shouted Kurome, punching the floor.

"I've… I've won… "Me".", said Uzume, through quick breaths.

"How… W…Why? Why would this happen?! I don't understand!"

Uzume gave a bried smirk. "This… is how… it has to be… ya know?"

Kurome looked up at Uzume with a face of anger and… sadness. "Why? Why did… this have to happen? Do you know… how long… I've waited for this? Do you have any idea… how long I've been preparing for this?!"

"I've… got an idea… yeah."

"Then… Why?! Why?!"

"Because… That's just how… This ended up."

Kurome looked towards the ground for a few moments. She then looked up and let out a tremendous scream.

It was all her anger, her pure hatred.

Her sadness that she felt. Betrayal, heartbreak, guilt.

All her pain.

All their pain.

"How…", muttered Kurome.

"Huh?"

"How did… you win?"

Uzume closed her eyes, and put on a sad smile. "It's because… I accepted you…"

"What? How does that… mean anything? That doesn't mean anything!"

"Ya see… it does… You're a part of me… Just how… I'm a part of you…"

"What does that mean?!"

Uzume slowly, and painfully, got onto one knee. She placed a hand on Kurome's left shoulder, but Kurome tried batting it away with a hand, to no effect. "It means… that… this coulda been different…"

Kurome looked at Uzume with a frustrated, angry, and sad face. "What… How?!"

"We coulda… been pals, ya know?"

"Never…! That could… never happen!"

"Maybe… with how you're thinkin' now… But that coulda changed… You can feel the Share Energy, right? You can… feel all the positive energy, even among all that hatred inside you?"

"And I said that it doesn't mean anything!"

"But… it does… It means that… there are still good things to look forward to…"

Kurome didn't reply, and instead looked at the ground.

"You didn't have to… be like this… you coulda… overcome all that… hate… I feel your pain, too… So when I say that… you coulda been different… I mean it…"

Kurome almost looked like she wanted to cry. "But… After what they did to us… How can you feel that way?!"

"That's just… How we were… Before this mess happened… Before all the bad stuff…"

"I… I… I don't know! I don't know how!"

"And that… was the problem… You didn't want to change… And even if you do now… It's too late."

Kurome looked towards Uzume again and clenched her teeth, showing them off along with her feelings. "We… struggled… for so long! And yet… this is how it ends?!"

"Yup… It's sad, I know… I woulda preferred to have you… as a friend, ya know?"

Kurome looked at Uzume with a mixture of surprise and anger.

"After all… Who knows me better… than "Me"?"

Kurome gazed at her counterpart for a moment, still holding her pained face.

"It woulda been cool… Kinda like a twin?"

Kurome started shaking her head, trying to deny what Uzume was saying.

"Wouldn't you have… prefered that? Without all the suffering? Without the desire for revenge? I coulda helped you get over that…"

"I… I…!"

Uzume suddenly looked up. "Ahhh… there they are…"

"What?! What are you… talking about?!"

"They're calling me… to come back…"

Kurome didn't speak, but her face gave away all of her pain. They looked at each other, with Uzume smiling at Kurome.

"Guess… It wasn't meant to be… huh?"

Kurome could feel Uzume pulling her hand off her shoulder. Kurome wanted to move her own hand in response. But she was too weak from the battle. She wanted to… bring Uzume's hand back.

"No…"

"Another time… Another place…", started Uzume, who stood up slowly. "We coulda been the best of pals."

"No…"

Kurome slowly reached forward as Uzume turned to leave. She walked towards the edge of the platform, where a small light formed.

"Don't…"

Uzume turned around and locked eyes with Kurome.

"I wish it woulda been like that…"

Both of them looked to be incredibly strained. As if the sadness they were feeling was almost too much to handle.

"Don't… go…"

Kurome kept her hand in the air, outstretched towards her counterpart.

Uzume gave one last smile to Kurome.

"See ya later, Kurome."

"Don't leave…!"

Uzume disappeared, leaving no semblance that she'd been there besides the marks she'd left on Kurome.

"Don't… leave… me… Not after saying that…"

Kurome, who was now bent over on the floor, had her fists to the ground. Her head was bent over, looking down. She let out another tremendous scream, along with what seemed to be… sobbing…

Neptune decided to walk in front of Kurome. She bent down in front of her, getting onto her knees, as if she was trying to comfort her. She reached out towards Kurome's right shoulder, but found that she could not make contact. "That's right… We're just observers…"

Gil followed Neptune, and also got onto his knees in front of Kurome. Neptune had a sad face while looking at Kurome. Gil, too, had a sad face. He looked at the girl, and then looked down towards the ground. It was like when Uzume had first told him and Renna about her past…

Both Uzume and Kurome… had been wronged by the world. Only… This girl hadn't been on the good side. She'd desired revenge.

Like him and Renna…

He thought about that for a few moments.

"So… I'm going to disappear…" Kurome was now sitting up on her knees with her legs slightly to her sides. She looked more composed and in control, although she was still visibly sad.

Neptune gazed at her, wishing that she could talk to her. But that… wasn't possible.

Kurome sat there, waiting. She said nothing else, and nothing else happened.

She only looked forward. At where Uzume had once been.

Neptune placed a hand on Gil's shoulder and shook him lightly. "Gilly… I think it's time we left."

Gil looked up and towards Kurome. She really was only looking forward. He then looked at Neptune. "Right. You're right." He looked down again, thinking some more. They wouldn't end up like this, surely? He looked up at Kurome once again…

"W…What?", said Gil, with apparent surprise.

Neptune, who still had a hand on his shoulder, shook him again. "Gilly?"

"Yeah?", he said, looking towards Neptune again.

"Everything alright?"

"Yes. Sorry." He looked back at Kurome.

He could've sworn that… she was looking at him. When he raised his gaze, he could've sworn that she had shifted her gaze towards him… But, looking at her now, she wasn't…

She still looked forward.

He blinked a few times at Kurome, and got up to his feet. Neptune rose with him.

"How do we leave?", asked Gil.

"We can probably walk through the same place Uzume just did. There seems to be a similar portal there that just popped up."

"Yeah…"

Neptune, realizing that her hand was still on his shoulder, retracted it behind her head, scratching it.

"Are you alright? You looked sad.", asked Gil, as they walked towards the portal.

"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine."

Gil smiled at Neptune. "I'm glad."

Neptune replied with a smile of her own.

They stood in front of the portal, ready to walk through. They both looked back one last time, staying like that for a few moments. Gil looked to Neptune, who kept looking at Kurome, and then back to Kurome.

"Time to go, I suppose.", said Neptune.

They both turned around at the same time, and slowly started walking through the portal.

"Goodbye.", said Gil.

"Goodbye…", said Neptune.

And they were through.

The portal closed, leaving the dream.

"Goodbye…"

She could feel the slight warmth on her right shoulder…

Where Neptune had just touched…

"So this… Is what she was talking about…"

* * *

**Dusty's Shop:**

Renna stood outside Dusty's shop, looking up at the forge behind it. "Huh… The clouds are rolling in…" She walked in front of the door and took her shoes off. She entered through and placed her shoes on the floor. There were a few other shoes there as well.

Renna walked into the familiar room with weapons and armour hanging from the walls. Dusty was at the main counter, sitting on his chair. There were a few people around the shop, and Dusty was speaking to one at the counter.

Dusty's eyes quickly shifted to the entrance, where Renna had just entered through. He spotted her, and she gave a wave towards him, along with a smile. He signaled for her to move towards him with a hand, and shifted his attention back to the customer. Renna walked through the shop, once again admiring the work. There were so many high quality pieces of equipment.

She stood behind the customer. It was a man, and he looked like a regular adventurer. Renna peeked out from behind him, trying to see what was happening. They were discussing the payment for a certain piece of armour that the man had commissioned. Dusty saw that Renna was peeking around his customer, and pulled up another chair from behind him. He placed it next to left and patted it with his hand. He continued speaking with the customer all the while.

Renna smiled and moved around the counter to where the chair was. It certainly was a different perspective. This is what it was like to overview the entire store. The height difference between Renna and Dusty was incredibly present.

Renna kept looking under the counter to see if there was anything there. There were a few cabinets, but Renna wasn't rude enough to rummage through Dusty's stuff. She sat at Dusty's side for some time, waiting for the right time to talk. She observed how Dusty dealt with each customer, and how he was quite practiced at it.

The customers had varying requests. Some of them wanted to buy equipment, while others wanted to commission some. Some even asked Dusty of where to find certain material so they could collect it first. After almost twenty minutes, all the customers had cleared out.

"Quite popular, hey?", said Renna.

"I make a good living.", replied Dusty. "So, you're here to check up on the progress?"

"Uh-huh! How's it coming along?"

Dusty pulled out the same device from before, and projected a hologram with the current condition of the gauntlets. It was a 3D model, filled with every single detail that had been completed, including colour. The parts that hadn't been completed were outlined with schematic lines and drawings.

"As you can see, I'm about halfway through."

"Wow! It looks amazing so far! Like, on par with my stuff! Thanks so much!"

"Hmph, well I am taking my time with this. I told you that it would be perfect, and I intend to make it so." He had the smallest semblance of a smile while saying so. "This metal… it is incredibly unique, even amongst the highest quality material. How have you come upon such weapons?"

"We sorta… just got them one day!"

""We"? So there are more?", asked Dusty. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"O-Oh, right, yeah… We… There's two of us."

"And does this other person have similar equipment?"

"Yup! He's the one who I'm giving these two to!"

"Hmmm, alright then. And who is this person?"

"He's my brother!"

Dusty narrowed his eyes. "Huh. So only you and your brother have this type of equipment…"

"I-It seems like it."

Dusty spun on his chair, facing towards Renna. He placed his right hand on one knee and rested his left arm on the other. "Why is that?"

"What… do you mean?"

"I'm curious as to why you, somebody that came out of nowhere, has such prime weaponry? And the only other person who has equal quality weaponry in the city, if not in the world, is none other than your brother, and I don't even know his name."

"Hahaha…"

"So tell me… Why is that so?" Dusty's eyes were somewhat narrowed, and were almost intimidating. But Renna could tell that he was just curious. That didn't help Renna, though. How would she explain this? Dusty was clearly very knowledgeable about the different weapons and materials throughout the world, so not knowing something about this must be pretty interesting to him.

"I… Can't really tell you that."

"What?"

"I can't fully explain it. We sort of just… got them one day. They were just… there."

Dusty continued looking at her face, assessing her. "Don't lie to me, Renna. I know when someone's lying. Comes with doing business for years."

"B-But… But I'm not lying! My brother and I just had them one day! We didn't make any request for them, we didn't find them in some old dungeon, and we didn't make them ourselves!"

Dusty continued summing her up. Her eyebrows were upturned, and her mouth was slightly open, curving downwards. Her face wasn't strained at all, and there were no features that were twitching or moving irregularly.

He continued for a few moments, before closing his eyes and smiling lightly. "It seems like that's the truth, however simple it may be." He nodded to himself slowly.

"Th-Thank you…", breathed Renna.

"It's still very weird to me, though."

"It is to me too…"

"This material is ancient. It comes from a time before any of the current Goddesses were alive. It is dreadfully expensive to acquire, and yet you and your brother just… somehow acquired them one day?"

"W-We got them a long time ago, when we were still young."

"You mean younger than you are now?"

"Y-Yes! Much younger."

"How very strange…" Dusty looked at Renna's face again. He brought a hand to his chin, running his fingers across it. "So, were you born with those eyes?"

"Y-You mean with them being two different colours?"

"Yes, that."

"N-No… They sort of… changed, one day."

"One day, huh?"

"Yes. Out of the blue."

Dusty gave a huff of amusement. "And I'm guessing that the same goes for your hair?"

"U-Uh-huh…"

"Much like how you acquired your weaponry? They suddenly changed, like how you suddenly received the weapons?"

"Yes…"

Dusty eyed her for a while. "You're quite the strange one, aren't you?"

Renna gave out a nervous laugh, and rubbed her right arm with her left hand. "We've lived like this for a while, so… that's not exactly a new feeling for me."

"Hmmmmm… I'm sure."

Just then, the entrance to the shop could be heard opening. A group of people emerged. There were about five of them. They were all men, and seemed to be teenagers.

"Hey, ol' Dusto! How've you been, man?"

Dusty, shifted his gaze from Renna to the group of people who just entered the shop. His face changed from his usual, gruff looking demeanour to one of annoyance and slight anger. He turned on his chair, facing the group.

"Sit there, and don't say anything. Got that?", commanded Gil, to Renna. Renna, who looked surprised, nodded while looking between Dusty and the group.

The man in front started walking towards the counter. He had a wide smirk, and his eyes were somewhat narrowed. Renna noted that all of them still had their shoes on. As they reached the counter, Dusty stood up. The men were taller than Renna, but didn't compare to Dusty.

"And what do you want?", asked Dusty. He still looked annoyed, and spoke with slight aggression.

"Hey, that's no way to greet a valued customer, is it?", said the man in front.

"Answer the question."

The front man widened his smile, showing a bit of his teeth. "Can't I just check in, huh? Maybe I want to buy something of yours, huh?"

"If you're not here to do anything important, leave. Now."

"Chill out, old man. I'm here to ask a question."

Renna looked at the man who was now leaning on the counter. He had light blonde hair, with black highlights leading from his crown. His eyes were light green, like the colour of fresh grass. He had a single studded earring on his right ear. It was a black stud without any extra features. He had a gold necklace around his neck. His eyes darted towards Renna, and he gave her a wink.

"Who's that little lady over there? Finally took up an apprentice, did you? I never pinned you for the type."

"She's not. She's a valued customer. And a person who's actually good to talk to, unlike some people."

The man narrowed his eyes at that comment. He looked at Renna again, and scanned his eyes across her body. "Oh, I'm sure she is valued…"

"What do you want?", said Dusty, slowly, and with more aggression.

The man returned his eyes to Dusty. "I was wondering what your most expensive material was. I wanted to make something out of it."

Dusty narrowed his eyes. "That'll cost you a lot."

"I got the cash. More than enough."

"Even then, I can't do that now. I'm already busy with another high quality commission."

"Oh, really? Is that so?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure that the commission is nowhere near the quality of material I'll be requesting, right?", said the man, with a cocky smile.

Dusty looked at the man and gave an amused huff.

"As a matter of fact, you're wrong. I'm making something of the highest grade material I have." The man looked surprised, as if he never expected something like that.

"And who is this person?"

"I don't have to tell you."

"What material is it?"

"Again, I don't have to tell you."

"I could just find out with my own means, so you telling me now would save me some hassle."

Dusty leaned over on the counter, glaring at the man. "I don't have to tell you anything."

The man smirked at Dusty. Renna could feel the tension in the air, and was wary of conflict brewing.

"It's me! I'm the person."

Both Dusty and the man darted their vision towards Renna. Dusty looked at her with surprise, as he was trying to not get her involved.

"Oh, really now? You? You're who Dusto here's making something for?"

"Yes, I am."

The man returned to speaking to Dusty. "And that's why she's behind the counter. Truly a "valued customer"."

"More so than you, by a long shot.", replied Dusty.

"Hah! And how is that so?"

Dusty looked back at Renna. She had already revealed that she was the customer, so he could probably say more.

"Because she's the first person I've seen using that material before."

"You mean to say… She already has that quality of equipment?"

"Yes. Leagues above yours."

The man kept smiling at Dusty, although he also looked more aggressive. "Seriously?"

"Yes."

"And do I get to see them?"

"They're already out.", said Renna. She had summoned both of her swords into her hands, holding them to her sides. Dusty, again, looked surprised.

The man, along with the other group members, looked at Renna and her weapons with wide eyes. "They're rather unique, aren't they?", said Renna.

"How much?", asked the man.

"E-Excuse me?"

"How much for them?"

"Th-They're not for sale."

"One million?"

"…No."

"Two million?"

"No."

"Five million?"

"Nope."

"Ten million?"

"Nada!"

Renna twirled them around expertly in the small space she was in, not making contact with anything but the air around her. The man looked at Renna with slightly furrowed brows, and looked to his left before continuing his chat with Dusty. "…Fine, I'll leave for now. You're lucky I'm feeling good today. Let's try to keep it that way, alright?"

"Good.", said Dusty.

The man gave Renna one last look, and once again surveyed her entire body. He then turned to leave. "Let's go." He slid the door open and let the others walk through. He locked eyes with Renna again and slid the door shut.

Dusty let out a sigh, and sat back down.

"Dusty?", asked Renna.

"Yeah?"

"Who were those people? Who was that man?"

Dusty faced Renna when he spoke. "They're people that you shouldn't get involved with. It's safer that way."

"But… I don't know who they are. Wouldn't it be better if I knew who they are?"

Dusty looked at Renna carefully. "Fine. But I'm being serious when I say that you shouldn't get involved."

Renna nodded in response, and Dusty continued. "They're part of the city's gang."

"A… gang?"

"Yeah. They deal with all sorts of black market and under the radar deals. That guy who was speaking is the son of the man on top, and he damn well knows that. He thinks he's untouchable, and because of his father's status, he's treated as such."

"Then why… don't the Goddesses do anything about it? Why don't they step in?"

"Oh, they do. They try. What do think they do when they're working against all the piracy and illegal activities?"

"So… they do try…"

"Yes, but it's a large corporation. And it's powerful."

"Oh no…"

"Exactly. That kid speaks a big game, and unfortunately, he can back it up."

"And how does he know you?"

"They know about my craftsmanship, so they sometimes come to me with high quality requests. I usually refuse, but sometimes… You never know who's involved with them."

"And that guy in particular?"

"He came with a request a few years back, and has been bugging me ever since. Simple as that."

"Huh…"

"So like I said, don't get involved. You speaking up just now was already dangerous to do. You didn't have to do that."

"But I wanted to help! I got him off your back for today!"

Dusty gave a small smile. "That you did. But try not to-"

"…Get involved with him, I know."

"Good. I don't want anything bad happening for no good reason."

"What's his name?"

Dusty waited a moment before speaking. "His name's Faust."

"Faust… Okay. I'll be sure to be careful."

"Please do."

Renna gave Dusty a hearty nod, and then stood up from her seat. "Alrighty then, I think I'll head out now!"

"Anything else you want to know before you leave?"

"Nope, I should be fine!"

"Alright. And be quick. I think it'll start to rain soon."

"I'll keep that in mind! Bye-bye, Dusty!"

"Goodbye, Renna. Come check up again whenever you want."

"I will! Bye!"

Renna moved through the shop quickly and slid open the door. She put her shoes on and gave one last smile to Dusty before sliding the door shut.

"Took you long enough.", came a voice.

Renna looked down at the path, and could see a group of people on the road. The same group of people who had just been in the shop.

"The name's Faust." He was leaning against a sign by the road.

"I already know that."

"Already informed, then? Great."

Renna let go of her smile and took a serious face. "What do you want?"

Faust stood up from the sign, and faced Renna with a smirk. "Many things. And I tend to have a knack for getting those things."

"I told you, they're not for sale."

"Aww, why not?"

"Because they're mine. They're important to me. And I don't have to give them up."

Faust retained his arrogant smile. The rest of his group, who were sitting on the side of the street, stood up and walked next to him. "Well, if you don't have to, then maybe I should give you a reason."

Renna thought about what to say for a moment. "Listen, I don't want to start something bad. I don't want to get involved with you, so don't get involved with me."

"You could be involved with me. You're quite the looker, you know?" Renna stood her ground, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "How about you come back with me? I could give you a reason to give me those weapons of yours. I could give you many things in return. I can give you whatever you want. Whatever you desire!", said Faust, holding his arms out and to his sides.

"I don't think you can do that for me."

Faust looked slightly confused at this. "As if. I can buy you anything in this city."

"Maybe if it was material."

"Oh, so you're one of those? Well, I can get people to do things for you as well."

"The answer is no. I'm not going with you or your lackeys to… wherever your base is. I don't think I'd ever do that. All you want are my weapons."

"Who says? I did say that you're quite the looker. And I did mean that. You have quite the… unique look to you." He looked Renna up and down again. "Your hair is quite different. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before. And your eyes… different colours, correct?"

"I'm not going with you.", said Renna. She wanted to say more, but held her tongue. It wouldn't be good to start anything. She started walking down onto the path, and walked towards the group.

"Maybe you need some more convincing…", said Faust.

Renna continued walking forwards. When she got close enough, Faust made to grab her shoulder and stop her in her tracks. Renna stepped to the side and maneuvered her body out of the way from Faust's attempted grab. She moved past him quickly and kept walking forwards.

Faust blinked while looking at his hand for a few moments, and then looked behind him. Renna was already walking off past the group. Faust had a slightly annoyed look on his face. And then brandished another one of his smirks.

"We'll see about that…"

Renna kept walking, and glanced backwards. She could see the group of five staring towards her, but they made no effort to chase her. She then continued looking forwards, and set off at a brisk pace.

* * *

**Lowee Hotel:**

Neptune and Gil were sitting besides Uzume, and they had been for quite some time. They were waiting for her to wake up. Both of them still looked to be sad from their experience inside Uzume's dream.

"I had no idea…", said Neptune. Gil looked at her sympathetically, letting Neptune continue. "I had no idea that something like this happened… She never told me anything like this…" They sat in silence, thinking over what had happened.

Neptune perked up after a while, and smiled at Gil. "But what did you think about it, Gilly?"

"I thought that it was sad. It must've been incredibly painful to go through something like that. I… would hate to have to go through something like that."

"Yeah. Losing someone that's practically a part of who you are… must be pretty depressing."

"Yes. But…", started Gil, who looked at Neptune with a hopeful face. "…At least they reconciled at the end."

Neptune nodded at this. "Yup. Uzume said that she accepted her, and it looks like that's helped her a lot."

"It helped the both of them…"

"Yeah. It did, in the end."

"Did you know Kurome at all, Neptune?"

Neptune was startled by this question, and it showed.

"W-Why do you ask?"

"I was wondering. It seemed like you may have, and I got that impression."

Neptune looked around the room for a while, thinking of what to say. "…Yes, I did."

"How?"

"I was… working with her for a bit…"

"What? Really?"

"Yeah, but that wasn't when I knew that she wanted to destroy the world or whatever!"

"O-Oh… Then, when?"

"I… kinda stumbled upon her while hopping through dimensions. She was all alone, and she asked me to get something for her. So I did, and we stuck together for a while."

"How was she?"

"She was cold and calculating. She had this master plan, but never told me the end goal. And when I found out, thanks to my own work, I left her…"

"How did she treat you?"

"She was cold and serious all the time! But she never scoffed at my jokes. I think I was entertaining to her. At least a bit. I'm a pretty funny gal, as you already know. I'd… like to say that we were friends. I don't know how she fully felt, though…"

"How did it feel… when you knew she was gone?"

"It was… Honestly, not that great. I knew what I had to do as soon as I found out her goal, but it didn't make it easier. And I tried to get her onto the good side! I really did! But… it didn't work…"

"Do you think… that Uzume got through to her, in the end?"

"I hope so. I think she may have."

"Me too."

They continued to sit in the bedroom for some time. They spoke softly to each other all the while. Eventually, Uzume woke up. "Did… Did it work?"

"It did.", said Neptune. "We saw everything."

"As in… even that last part?"

"…Yes. Even that last part.", said Gil, in a sad tone.

"With Kurome, and how you spoke to her after the fight.", said Neptune.

Uzume smiled sadly, and looked down towards the ground. "So now you know. I'm sorry for not having told you before, Nepsy."

"It's fine. It's pretty personal, so I can understand why you didn't."

"But…"

"It's fine, Uzume. I know now."

"O-Oh… Okay then. Cool…" She turned her gaze towards Gil. "A-And… what about you, Gilsy?"

Gil thought about what to say for a few moments.

"Gilly?"

"I'm glad… that you're okay." Neither Neptune nor Uzume replied, but looked at Gil curiously. "You were so strong back there, at the end. I'm glad that you made it through. You even made up with Kurome."

"Well, yeah. She's a part of me, just like how I'm a part of her. Or at least, she was… She'd been through the same things I had. There's no way that I could fault that. I just wish that she'd joined the good guys…"

"I'm sure she would've after what you said to her.", said Neptune.

Uzume nodded slowly. "Yeah. Me too." Each of them stood up and walked through to the living room. "It's… so bright…"

"Guess that's what we get for staying in a dark room for a while.", explained Neptune.

They sat down by the kotatsu and decided to talk. After a few minutes spent chatting, Neptune and Uzume went back to playing the fighting game from before. Gil decided to watch again.

A few games passed, when Gil asked a question. "What's the time now?"

"It's… after twelve. So your sister should be arriving soon!", said Neptune.

"I'm home!", came a voice, accompanied by the sliding of a door.

"'Sup, Rensy.", greeted Uzume, with a casual salute.

"We were just saying how you were gonna be back now!", said Neptune, smiling at Renna.

"Hello, Renna.", greeted Gil.

"Hiya all! How's it going?"

"Pretty good. And you?", said Uzume.

"It went well… mostly."

Gil looked apprehensive as she said that. "What do you mean, "mostly"?"

"Well, while I was… doing my thing with my secret project… I kinda ran into a pretty bad guy."

Neptune tilted her head. "Huh? How?"

"He was doing something at the place I was at. And he started talking to me. Turns out he's the son of the leader of a gang here in Lowee."

Gil narrowed his eyes upon hearing this. "Do you think he'll try anything?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. He seemed like the type to do that, so we should all be on guard."

Uzume sighed. "If he's the son of the gang's boss, he's gotta have plenty of people willing to do what he asks." Gil placed a hand to his head, running it through his hair.

"And why did he start talking to you? What did he want?", inquired Neptune.

"He wanted me to go with him to where his base was. He didn't say where it was."

"We need to be careful from here on out.", said Gil.

Uzume clasped her fists together. "Well, he can try whatever he wants! If he does, we'll just beat him up! That'll teach him!"

Neptune threw a fist into the air. "Yeah! We'll just show them who's boss." Renna smiled at this optimism. "But… how's the progress on your project?", asked Neptune.

"About halfway done. It's coming along nicely."

"That's good to hear.", said Uzume.

"Yeah. So, what have you guys been up to?"

"Uzume practiced her dream ability-thingy!"

"I-I did, yeah. I practiced it on myself…"

"You can do that?"

"I can. And it worked out well, according to these two."

"What's it like?"

"It's not so different from walking around normally. The major difference is that we can't really interact with anyone, or any monsters.", said Neptune.

"Huh. Okay then."

"So… what should we do for the rest of the day?", asked Uzume.

"I think we shouldn't go out. We should stay here.", said Gil.

"You're that worried, Gilly?", asked Neptune.

"Yes. I don't want any of you getting hurt."

"Oh, that's nice of you to say to say."

"I agree with Gil. And we can relax for the rest of the day! We can play some games, like we did earlier!", said Renna.

"I'm down for that. With all of us, this time.", said Uzume, again aimed at Gil. Gil smiled to himself.

"How about it, Gilly?", asked Neptune. "Will you join us?"

"Sure."

Renna had an idea. "How about we do teams? Gil and I versus you two?"

"Oh, you're on!", said Uzume.

"We can rotate teams, can't we?", asked Neptune. "Every now and then?"

"Maybe.", replied Renna.

"Alrighty! Let's get this show on the road!"

Neptune grabbed four controllers and passed one to each of her companions.

"So this button makes you do a light attack, and this one is a special attack…", explained Renna, to Gil.

"Got it…", said Gil. He was listening intently, as he wanted to do well. He hadn't played games with his sister in who knows how long.

"We gotta have great teamwork, Nepsy. You ready?"

"You betcha! Let the games begin!"

Neptune launched the game, and the teams started playing against each other. They were all quite competitive.

"Come on, come on…", said Gil.

"Better luck next time, Gilly!"

"Yah!", said Renna.

"Wah-?! Dammit, Renny!"

"Gotcha!"

"Not so fast, I'm coming through!", said Uzume.

"There…", said Gil.

"Nice teamwork, Gil!"

"Watch out, Nepsy!"

"I'm alright, I'm alright!"

"Keep going, Nepsy!"

"I'm trying!"

"Renna, left."

"Thanks. Jump up there, there's an item."

"Got it."

"Intercept him, Uzume!"

"On my way!"

They continued to play throughout the day, with countless amounts of rounds passing them by. Sometimes Renna and Gil won, sometimes Neptune and Uzume won. But they all knew one thing. The most important thing.

They were all having a great deal of fun together as friends.

* * *

**Hooray! It's done!**

**How's that one for ya? All the new pieces of information!**

**Like with Renna and Gil's parents, and the brief description of them. ****And with Renna finding out about the Basilicom "investigating" into the incident.**

**Uzume and Kurome's interactions… I hope that part felt emotional. I really envisioned it being as such. I also hope that I gave Kurome justice, and that she felt natural. ****I did quote some lines from VII, when Uzume and Kurome were talking before and after the fight.**

**And how about the whole "gang" thing? I intended for that to be like a sort of "Yakuza" for Lowee.**

**Overall, I hope this was a solid and enjoyable chapter! Do you understand why I said it took a while to plan? ****There are a lot of places where I set some things up, after all…**

**That's all from me for now! **

**Don't be afraid to leave a review! It really does help, and it makes me all giddy on the inside. It does. Yeah.**

**So that's that. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and will carry on doing so!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	20. Three Days Since

**Hello all! Welcome back.**

**Remember a few weeks back, when I said that I had plenty of tests and stuff happening soon? It was a whiiiiiile back.**

**Well, yeah, I'm still going through that. In fact, this is the most important part. So please, forgive me if the chapters don't come out as frequently.**

**This chapter is also a bit shorter than usual.**

**And… yeah.**

**Back to it!**

* * *

**Chapter 19:**

It was a normal afternoon in Hyperdimension Planeptune, with the weather being slightly down. There were clouds outside, and it looked like it could start raining. So, just a normal day, with slightly different weather... Well, almost normal.

"Geez, finally. It's been, like, eight chapters since I've been in the story. What has this world come to?!", said Neptune, lying down on a couch with her arms in the air.

"Get a grip. There are more people in this story than just you, so get used to it.", said Blanc. She was sitting on a couch with her hands in her lap.

"I know, but like, stiiiiiill! It's me! Me!"

"So you're just going to complain about how you haven't been the main character for a while instead of tending to your guests?", said Noire, who was standing against the couch with Neptune on it.

Neptune rose up onto all fours and looked at Noire accusedly. "But you were in chapter fourteen! That's, like, more recent than me!"

"H-How do you know about that?! I made sure that nobody knew!"

Neptune's face changed to be slightly smug. "Oh-ho-ho, Noirey…"

"You even know what she called me…"

"…A Nep has her ways! You gotta use your mind's eye, your third eye! Or, more like your fourth eye!"

"Where's your third one?!"

Neptune looked past Noire, spotting Vert sitting in a chair by the table. "And you! Don't think you're safe from my accusin' either, bucko! You were in chapter twelve! That means that you beat me by one chapter!"

Vert, who had been smiling at her fellow CPUs, let out a small giggle while bringing a hand to her mouth. "My, my, I had planned on observing the fun. But I guess not. And Neptune, you're wrong."

"W-What?!"

Vert stood up and dramatically tilted her head at Neptune, letting her hair flow through the air.

"Wow, that was like slow motion.", commented Blanc.

"How is she holding her head at that angle?", said Noire.

"That wasn't me. You must be confusing myself with my counterpart.", said Vert.

Neptune, who was standing on the couch in surprise, started backing away. "B-But that's… impossible! That's-" She didn't get to finish, what with her slipping off the couch. She let out a small yelp and started falling.

Noire quickly reached over and grabbed her by her hoodie, pulling her back up. She stood with her arms crossed, looking at a flabbergasted Neptune who was blinking very slowly. "Geez, you're ridiculous." Noire then returned to her stance as if nothing happened.

"W-Woah. That was… very close. Thanks, Noire! You've saved my life and done a great service to the world!"

Noire brought a hand to her head. "I'm contemplating whether the opposite is true."

"B-But anyway, Vert! Have you undergone some sort of special training to open up your fourth eye as well?!"

Vert released her dramatic pose and sat back down. "No, nothing of the sort. I just used my deduction skills. I haven't done anything particularly exciting as of late, so I reckoned that I would not have featured recently."

"Oooooh, wow! That makes sense!", said Neptune, who had hopped over the couch to stand next to Noire. "But does that mean… that I haven't done anything important lately?! How is that possible?!"

"Get over yourself.", said Blanc, who stood up and walked over to her fellow CPUs. "Maybe you should pay attention to the other people as well?" She motioned her head to the table Vert was at and looked between the four Candidates that were also sitting down.

Nepgear sat next to Vert, with Rom next to Nepgear. Uni was opposite Nepgear, and Ram was at the other head of the table. Ram had her elbows on the table and joined her hands together by her mouth, partially obscuring her face. If she had glasses on, they would no doubt have been glinting in the light.

"Ram, what are you doing?", asked Blanc.

"I'm… being dramatic! I saw Vert doing a pose, so I did a cool one as well!"

"I see Vert's influencing you."

"You say that like it's a bad thing, Blanc.", said Vert, with slight happiness.

"I know you, Vert. There are some things that I wouldn't like her picking up from you."

Noire suddenly made an "Ahem!" sound, bringing everyone's focus back.

"Right, right, I should properly welcome you all.", said Neptune. "Welcome to Planeptune Basilicom! Home to the ever so wonderful, sparkling beauty known as… me! And also home to the nation's smartest person ever, Nepgear! My adorable younger sister!"

"H-Hello…", said Nepgear.

Uni crossed her arms. "This isn't some game show, so why do you sound nervous?"

"Neptune's so funny…", giggled Rom.

Neptune shrugged. "But yeah, the gang's all here and whatever. We're not gonna reintroduce everyone like how they do in some anime. Like, dude, we get it, they have names, but that doesn't mean that you gotta constantly remind the audience of who they are! That's disrespectful to the characters, as well as the viewers!"

"Commentary on some tropes aside…", said Noire, flicking a tail of her hair. "We're just here to relax, right?"

"Yes indeedy! It's time to chillax."

"As if you don't do that all the time.", said Blanc.

"Heeey, that's mean! I went questing with you a few days ago! And we even trained together!"

"You're still lazy."

"I do think that we should all take some time to relax and wind down. We cannot expect to properly manage ourselves if we're under a large degree of stress.", said Vert.

Noire nodded slowly. "That… is true, although, as Goddesses, we should be prepared to deal with such circumstances."

"Always a stick in the mud."

"Shut up, Neptune."

"Regardless, we're all able to be here because we've been doing rather well lately. None of us have any problems in our nations at the moment.", said Blanc.

"Exactly! Ever the reliable Blanc! And you're all here to play, so we shouldn't talk all business and stuff!"

"I suppose that's right.", said Noire.

"You say that as if it's a trouble, Noire.", said Vert.

"I… know. But it's… not that big of a problem. It's… nice."

"Ahhh, I see that I've made the tsun come out to play."

"I-I can say when things are nice!"

"Like hanging out with your friends?"

"…Y…Yeah… With…"

"ANYway, moving on.", said Neptune, looking at Noire mischievously. "The console's all set up and we've got plenty of room and games to play."

"Back to the couches, then.", said Blanc.

Neptune sat on the middle couch that faced the television, with Vert sitting to her left and Noire sitting to her right. Blanc sat on the right couch with the twins seated on either side of her. And on the left couch sat Nepgear and Uni.

"But back to the topic of training…", said Vert.

"Oh, yeah, that was mentioned briefly in a joke.", said Neptune.

"…How is it going for you all? I, myself, have gotten generally stronger overall. With both magic and physical attacks, I feel."

"Same.", said Noire. "Although, I would like to come up with something new…"

Blanc nodded. "I think we're all in that situation. We've gotten stronger, but we haven't come up with any new techniques."

Rom suddenly spoke up. "But… we have…"

"Yup! We're the ones learning new things!", said Ram.

Nepgear nodded heartily. "It's true. We've been experimenting with different ideas, and we've all got at least something new."

"So basically, we gotta step up our game, gals!", exclaimed Neptune. "We can't let the younger generation pass us!"

"Indeed. But let us game.", said Vert. They did the usual routine of gaming and went through Neptune's collection of games. Adventure games, shooting games, racing games. Co-op games, and competitive games.

An hour passed with everyone taking part.

"Hello everyone, I'm back.", came a voice that belonged to Histoire.

Neptune got up and walked towards her. "Histy! You're hoooooome!"

Nepgear thought that she would also like to go to Histoire, but she was playing. What would she do? "Um… Vert, do you mind playing for me?" Only the Candidates were playing, and they all looked at Nepgear with worried faces. Vert, who had attentively been watching the screen, shifted her attention to Nepgear. "Why, of course. I'll take up this mantle."

"Thank you.", said Nepgear, who passed Vert the remote. Vert held the remote and brandished a small smile. "Now then, let's get started." The other Candidates all gulped.

"Ah, Nepgear, hello.", greeted Histoire.

"Hello Histoire. Let me help you…", said Nepgear. She took the plastic bags that Histoire was holding into her hands.

Neptune gave a salute to the small fairy. "Thanks for going to the shops for us, Histy."

"Well, we have to provide for our guests."

"Exactamudo!"

Nepgear started walking off. "I'll go put everything in the kitchen for later."

Histoire looked off at Nepgear while she was walking, which caught Neptune's attention. "You okay there Histy?"

"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Just in thought."

"Alrighty-tighty."

Histoire shifted her gaze to Neptune. "Neptune."

"What's up? Got something to share?"

"I do. It concerns…" Histoire glanced towards the kitchen. "…Nepgear."

Neptune was slightly caught off by what Histoire was saying. What did she have to speak about? And it was about Nepgear? "Okay then… spill the beans…"

"Please, Neptune… please just… take care of her."

"That's what I always do."

"She's been very worried as of late."

Neptune looked down for a second before answering. "I know. She told me that she was worried a few days back, just before…"

"…The situation with Renna and Gil."

"Yeah. She was very worried, as in more than usual."

"She's been very worried lately, yes. And I fear that her worries come with justification."

"Whatcha mean?"

"I do not know exactly. But I feel that we should expect many events in the near future."

"Well, we have been preparing for that! We've all gotten stronger, and we're more prepared than when this whole fiesta began. So don't worry about that part. 'Cus we've got it covered."

"I certainly hope so."

"But how 'bout you, Histy?"

"What do you mean, Neptune?"

"Are you prepared? I mean, we don't really want another Captiv-Histy moment."

"That… is true. I am adept at magic, but…"

"But…?"

"But it has been many years since I have last had to use magic in combat. I fear that I may not be as skilled as I used to be in that regard."

"Well, just train! That's what we're doing, so you can do that too!"

"Yes, yes…"

"I'm sure you'll be back up to scratch in no time, you diligent fairy you."

"I never expected such a… reasonable suggestion from you, Neptune."

"Hey! I can be reasonable! And besides, you were pretty overpowered as a DLC character in the first game, so I'm sure that you'll be using some stuff that we haven't seen before. Or just be super powerful in general! That works too!"

"You never miss the chance to talk like that, do you?"

"Of course not! That is that, this is this, and Nep is Nep! Such is the law of the world! Nay, everything!"

"Good grief… You are quite the handful, Neptune."

"But ya love me anyway!"

Histoire smiled gently at Neptune. She then glanced at the kitchen and noticed that Nepgear was still busy in there. "But, Neptune, you should go back to playing."

"Thanks! I never imagined that I would hear that line from you." And off Neptune sauntered, rejoining the rest of the group.

Histoire smiled at them all, and then looked back to the kitchen. She started floating towards it. "Nepgear, may I have a moment?"

Nepgear, who was packing some groceries away, looked at Histoire. "Sure, Histoire. What would you like to talk about?"

Histoire didn't speak for a few moments, and instead took a slightly pained face for an instant before looking back up to Nepgear. "I would like to talk to you later, when you're fully available."

Nepgear's eyebrows darted upwards, giving her a worried face. "Is it about…?"

"Yes, about my investigations regarding that blade."

Nepgear looked to the ground, and then back to Histoire, who then continued speaking. "My investigations have yielded information on it, but I would prefer if we could speak about it later."

"We can talk now, I don't mind."

"No, I insist, Nepgear. You should have some fun before I tell you. That is what everyone is here for. I wouldn't want to keep you from our guests."

"If you say so… Thank you, Histoire."

Histoire nodded twice and then smiled at Nepgear. "Now go off. Go have some fun with the others."

"I will. Thanks, Histoire!" Nepgear then took her leave.

Histoire kept looking at her for a moment. She looked at Nepgear and imagined many things. How sweet and caring Nepgear was. How kind and helpful she was. How strongly committed she was to doing good for the world. How much she had grown over the course of a few years. It was a very pleasant train of thought.

The reasons that Histoire had given Nepgear for wanting to talk later were all valid. She wanted Nepgear to have fun, as that would reduce the stress that she felt. She didn't want to keep her from her friends. But there was another reason.

She would not want Nepgear feeling sad or worried during the gathering of Goddesses. Because surely, that is what would happen when Histoire told Nepgear the information. Histoire had said that she would tell Nepgear any information on the blade as soon as she found out, and Histoire had meant that. Even if what Histoire had to say wasn't anything good, as it was this time.

* * *

**Some time later:**

"You guys aren't bored, right?", asked Neptune.

"No, not at all. Playing games like this is never a bore.", answered Vert.

Blanc sank into a cushion. "Hanging out without any special events happening is nice sometimes. You don't always need to go out somewhere to enjoy yourself."

Neptune smiled to herself. "I know, I just wanted you to say that."

"I'm hungry. Where's some food?", asked Ram.

Rom nodded in agreement. "I wanna eat, too…"

Nepgear stood up from the couch. "I'll go get some snacks from the kitchen, along with some plates and bowls."

Uni slowly got up as well. "You're gonna need an extra pair of hands, so I suppose I'll help."

"Oh, thank you Uni."

Neptune looked at the two as the walked off. "They're pretty close, aren't they?"

"Yes. And it seems as if they've gotten even closer as of late.", said Vert.

"It does feel like that, doesn't it?", said Noire, in a serious tone.

"Yup! They've always been close, but it seems like that feeling has gotten even stronger.", said Neptune.

Ram decided to chime in. "Uh-huh! They were talking and stuff a lot when we all went out together on some quests!"

Rom added in as well. "Uh-huh… They got all close at the end… and they were talking together for a while… only separating when we said something."

Ram giggled to herself. "Uni was so embarrassed! It was so funny!"

Noire turned towards the kitchen. "Is that so?" She saw Uni and Nepgear together at a counter. They had placed some bags of chips, some sweets, and other food out on it, and were currently looking through the cupboards for plates while talking the entire time.

Nepgear would sometimes look at Uni briefly while talking, and the opposite was true as well. They would smile, speak, and let out slight giggles. They were both happy in each other's company, and it wasn't a forced atmosphere. They were themselves around each other. That was how close they were. They were both… happy.

"Hey, Noire, stop looking away from the screen. What are you looking at anyway?", asked Neptune, briefly tilting her head behind her to look towards the kitchen. "Oooooooh, I see. You're looking at those two." Neptune giggled while turning her face back.

Noire turned back around and looked at Neptune. "And what's so funny?"

"You."

"And just how is that so?"

Vert, Blanc, Rom and Ram were all playing a racing game together. They were playing a game mode where each player had balloons attached to their vehicle, and the objective was to pop the other players balloons with items, all the while trying to keep your balloons safe.

"There's no need to worry about them or whatever.", said Neptune.

"Who said I was worrying?"

"Oh, come on Noire! There's no way you expect ME to not know."

"A-And what do you mean by that?"

Neptune shifted in her seat, taking her eyes off the screen. "Well, I guess I should clarify first." "Maybe I shouldn't say that you're worrying. I guess I should say that you're more, like, thinking about them. And about how close they are."

Noire couldn't believe what Neptune was saying. Or more, how Neptune was right. "I can think about how close my sister is to her friend. That's what I'm supposed to do as the older sister."

"Uhhh, saying it like it's your duty. You always have to make it seem like a chore, huh?"

"I do not! It's just the way that it is. I have to think about her."

"Well, duh, that's a given."

"Then what are you getting at?"

"May I explain what I assume Neptune is trying to say?", said Vert, suddenly. She was still looking forward at the game.

"I, uh… Suppose?"

"Have at it Vert! You're great at talking and stuff."

"Thank you. What I assume Neptune is saying is that you shouldn't feel like the only reason why you think about and do things for your sister is because you're her bigger sister. You shouldn't feel as if it is a burden or position that was thrust upon you, and that you are now forced to play the part."

Noire looked away. "I-I know that, but that doesn't take away the responsibility I have."

"Naturally. I wouldn't know, of course. So I haven't been able to truly feel this "responsibility" that you all feel as the older sisters."

"R-Right…"

"So take it from someone who isn't blessed with a sibling. You shouldn't feel that that is the sole reason you worry about Uni. It's all well to hold on to that responsibility and hold on to the title as the responsible older sibling, as it is an undeniable truth that that is the case. But you should care for your sister because you love her. She is precious to you, is she not?"

"O-Of course…"

"Then there you go. Do your duty, but do not let it overshadow everything else."

"Vert speaks the truth! She does indeed!", said Neptune, smiling towards Noire.

"Well, I know… Of course I feel that way about my sister. Of course I do. There is nobody else like her to me."

"Then show it!"

"I-It's hard for me, alright! I'm not as… open about things as you all are, so I can't exactly always show that…"

"I know. That's a cute point you have."

Noire half-lidded her eyes towards Neptune for a moment. "But I can still worry."

Neptune raised an eyebrow. "And what are you worrying about?"

"I… I don't know, actually."

"Are you worried about how close Uni and Nepgear are?"

"Of course not. She's my sister, and there's nothing closer than that."

"Hmmmm, are you sure about that?"

"Obviously. Are you saying that your sister isn't the closest person to you?"

"Well, of course not! If we're talking about being directly related, then there's nobody closer to me than family. Although, there are many people in my life that I'm very close to, such as you all."

"Y-Yeah…"

"But that's beside the point. You agree with me when I say that family is the closest thing to you?"

"Well, for me, yeah, in terms of being directly related. But others are in worse family relationships than me, so it doesn't go for everyone. Not everyone's on good terms with their relatives."

"I know. But you do agree?"

"I suppose."

"But… there are other parts of a family than just siblings."

"Obviously."

"Like the parents?"

"What are you getting at?"

"The parents are family, even without being related."

"Neptune, what're you trying to say?"

"What I'm saying is… Isn't a lover as close as family?"

Noire looked at Neptune weirdly for a few seconds. Neptune did say very weird things all the ti-

Noire's eyes suddenly widened in surprise, and her face became flushed. She opened her mouth in surprise, but nothing came out. She sat up in surprise and quickly darted her head back to the kitchen. Her head moved between Neptune and the kitchen rapidly. All the while, Noire held her embarrassed and flustered face.

"Noire, I don't know what you're talking to Neptune about, but if you keep doing that, you'll get dizzy.", commented Blanc in her regular tone.

"Y-Yeah, thanks…", said Noire. Her breathing was rapid, and she looked down at the floor for a few seconds before looking back up to Neptune.

"So, ya get it?", said Neptune, gleefully smiling away towards Noire.

Noire lowered her voice to a whisper and spoke to Neptune. She DEFINITELY did not want anyone else hearing this. "N-Neptune… Are you trying to s-say… T-That Uni and Nepgear could be in t-that sort of relationship?!"

Neptune also lowered her tone to a whisper. "What, that they could be all lovey-dovey? Sure."

"Why do you have to say it like that?!"

"What, that's what it is."

"Still, don't you know what tact is?!"

"Probably not."

"Figures…"

"But hey, it's possible! I'm sure that many people out there are all aboard that ship."

"W-What is wrong with you?!"

"What do they call it…? World Peace?"

"What the hell kind of name is that for… that?!"

"Does that mean that if they got together, there would be no more issues in the world?"

"I'm beginning to regret this whole train of thought…"

"I dunno, Noire. Maybe, for the good of the world, we should let it happen."

"D-Don't get any weird ideas in your head! And besides, this is what you're saying! There is absolutely no proof that they are like… that!"

"I know. I'm just sayin' that it could happen, ya know?"

"You are SO embarrassing!" Noire backed away from Neptune, returning to her upright position. She noticed that Neptune was enjoying this quite a bit.

"I'm just sayin'."

"Well what you're saying is weird."

"But anyway, back to my point… Do ya think that Nepgear and Uni's relationship, however… intimate it might be, could draw her away from you?"

Noire looked forwards without focus. She was thinking. Neptune constantly poked away at Noire's left arm. Noire only seemed to notice this when she was done thinking. She brushed her hand down, pushing Neptune's hands away. "I… would not like that to happen."

"I know, I don't think any of us would. But that's not what I'm asking. I'm asking if you feel that it could end up like that."

Noire once again looked back to the kitchen, and looked forward once more. "I… don't know. I just don't know. I know that Uni and I… aren't as close as you or Blanc are to your sisters, so it's always been a thought…"

"Uh-huh, uh-huh."

"I don't want us to become strangers." Neptune nodded away at Noire. "I just don't know…"

"Don't worry, I get what you're saying." Noire looked at Neptune out of the corner of her eye. "And besides, I'll always be close to you, Noire." Noire pouted and blinked a few times before sighing. "But anyway! That's not what we're here for. We're here to have fun and good stuff like that. So join in with the fun having!", smiled Neptune.

"You're just going to go off like that after coming up with a story like that?"

"Yes.", stated Neptune, simply.

"Ugh…"

"So just have fun!"

"That's what I'm trying to do." Neptune tilted her head to her left while looking at Noire with a smile before looking towards the screen. Noire sighed and then looked towards the television as well.

"Alright, the snacks are ready, everyone!", called out Nepgear, walking towards the couches. She placed some snacks and plates on the table in the center.

"There's something for everyone, I imagine.", added Uni, who also placed what she had onto the table.

"Finally, something to eat!", said Ram.

Neptune looked around with intrigue. "There is pudding, right?"

"Yes, sis."

Vert stroked her chin. "Hmm, those chocolates look nice."

Blanc reached at the food. "I'll have some."

"M-Me too…", mumbled Rom.

"There's enough for all of us.", said Uni.

They all sat on the couches, reaching for the food whenever they wanted.

* * *

**A few hours later:**

It was nighttime for Gamindustri, with the city lights taking up the skyline. It was raining outside, but it wasn't too heavy. It wasn't too late, but everyone was in their normal pajamas. Supper had already been had, and everyone had their fill.

"Blanc…", said Ram.

"Yes, Ram?"

"I'm feeling… kinda sleepy…"

"Me… too…", mumbled Rom.

"Alright, I'll put you two to bed. You both get to sleep in the bedroom."

"Thanks sis…"

"Thank you… sis…"

Everyone was still sitting by the couches, with Rom lying on Blanc's lap and Ram leaning against Blanc's shoulder. Blanc gently stood up and picked the twins up in either arm. "I just gotta go put these two to bed."

"Aww, how cute.", said Vert.

"You are talking about my sisters, right?"

"Of course."

"Just checking."

Blanc walked off towards Neptune and Nepgear's bedroom, ushering the door open with a shoulder. She walked over to Nepgear's bed and placed both of her sisters down on it. She pulled the blanket from under them and placed it over them. "Now, you two have a good night's rest. I don't want any trouble in the middle of the night."

"We won't… do that…", muttered Ram, her eyes half open.

"Maybe… if we need the bathroom…"

Blanc sighed while smiling to herself. "I'll be off now. Goodnight Rom, goodnight Ram."

"'Night, sis…"

"Goodnight, sis…"

Blanc got up an walked off. She reached the door, looked back at the twins and switched the light off. She gently closed the door while leaving. She looked throughout the main room, finding that everyone had moved about.

Vert and Neptune were in the kitchen, and Blanc guessed that Neptune was looking for more snacks and that Vert was probably making tea. They spoke all the while, but Blanc couldn't make out what they were talking about. Nepgear and Uni were sitting by the couch they had been on before, and they were talking. They looked to be having a great time together. Noire sat at the table, in the center chair that gave Blanc a view of her face. She had her elbow on the table, propping her head up with a hand. She looked to be troubled.

Blanc decided that she would talk to her. She walked over to the table and took the seat opposite Noire. Noire noticed her as she sat down. "Hey, Blanc."

"Hey. What's going on?"

"Nothing much. Today was fun, wasn't it?"

"It was. We got to spend some time with our friends and unwind a bit. That's always nice."

"Mmm, it is." Noire kept her position and leaned her head to look out of the large windows. "This city is so beautiful at night, don't you think?"

"Noire, what's really going on?"

Noire shifted her attention back to Blanc. "What do you mean?"

"You look down and out. Why? You did have fun, right?"

"I did."

"Then why do you look sad?"

Noire looked at Blanc with slightly closed eyes. "I do?"

"Mmmm. You do. So what's the problem?"

Noire sighed and dropped her arm from the table. "Ahhh, nothing really. Just thinking."

"What about?"

"Some stuff that Neptune said."

"It was probably weird, wasn't it?"

Noire nodded her head while smiling slightly at Blanc. "Yup, it was indeed."

"She's very weird."

"Couldn't agree more."

"What was it about?"

Noire seemed to think before answering. "It was about my… my relationship with my sister…"

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I've been wondering a few things."

"Like?"

"Like how close we are in comparison to you all."

Blanc kept her normal, somewhat stoic face. "We're all different, so you can't expect it to be the same."

"I know… but it still goes to show just how different we are. Your sisters are so close to you, and Neptune and Nepgear are the same."

"Well, my sisters are less mature than your sister, and Nepgear looks up to Neptune a lot. She's grown a lot throughout the years, and I'm pretty sure Neptune has at least some influence."

"Yeah, I know…"

"Uni's grown too, you know."

"I know."

"She's broken out of her shell and she's made friends with both Nepgear and my sisters."

"I'm glad that she has."

"Don't you think that you're a big reason for that?"

Noire looked at Blanc before speaking. "That's… possible."

Blanc sighed. "She looks up to you a lot, Noire. You already know this."

"I-I do…"

"You're her role model. She strives to be like you."

"Y-Yeah…"

"I know you already know this. So, why are you worried?"

"I just am. That's how I am."

"Are you afraid that she'll grow away from you?"

"I-I guess…"

"Trust me, she won't."

"I hope so."

"She has her own way of thinking, but she'll never forget about you. Especially since you're the one who she looks up to most."

"I guess… that's true."

Uni, who was sitting on the couch with Nepgear, spotted Noire and Blanc talking. "Hey, Nepgear, give me a bit."

"Sure, no problem…"

Uni got up and walked towards her sister and Blanc. "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Oh, Uni.", said Noire.

"We were just talking a bit.", said Blanc.

"What about?"

"Nothing much. Just some general things."

Uni looked at Noire, who was still facing Blanc. She placed a hand on Noire's shoulder for a short moment. Noire perked up at this. "Yup, everything's fine Uni."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I'm sure."

"Okay…"

Just then, Histoire entered the room, wearing her pajamas as well. "Hello everyone. I trust that you've all enjoyed yourself tonight?"

Everyone at the table nodded unanimously. "That's good to see. Now, where is…?" Histoire surveyed the room and spotted Nepgear by the couches. "Ahh, there. Well, have fun."

"You're going to talk to Nepgear?", asked Blanc.

"Indeed. I need to discuss some matters with her."

"I see."

"I'll be off now." Histoire floated off towards Nepgear.

"I'm going to go now, sis.", said Uni.

"Alright. Have fun."

Uni trailed slightly behind Histoire.

"Nepgear.", greeted Histoire. "I think it's time."

"O-Oh… Right."

Uni walked towards the couch Nepgear and sat down.

"Hello, Uni. I was just about to speak to Nepgear."

"It's fine, you can go ahead."

Histoire looked a bit troubled by that. "Uni, I'm sorry, but it's… private matters."

"O-Oh…" Uni looked to Nepgear with a questioning face. "Is it about…?"

"Y-Yes…"

"I see."

"Yeah…"

"Didn't you say that you'd tell me anything about it when you find out?"

Nepgear remembered back to a few days ago. Uni and her spoke just before she left to go back to Planeptune Basilicom. Uni was concerned about Nepgear, and she had made Nepgear promise that she would tell Uni whenever she found anything out about the blade. "You're… right... Histoire?"

"Yes?"

"Uni already knows about the sword."

"She does?"

"Yes. She, along with Rom and Ram, were there when we found it. We found it together. And I told her that I'd tell her about any new info when I found it out. So, please, let her listen as well."

Histoire contemplated this for a few moments. She looked to Uni, who had a determined face on. These two... They really have grown. "Alright then. A forewarning, though. This information is not something pleasant. It is the exact opposite, in fact,"

"We're ready for it.", stated Nepgear.

"I hope so. And, for now, I would prefer if this information remain between the three of us." Nepgear and Uni looked between each other, and then back to Histoire. "We don't need anything unnecessary to burden the others, so please… do not tell the others. At least, for now."

"O-Okay.", said Nepgear.

"We'll keep it to ourselves.", said Uni.

"Thank you. Now then… I'll explain." Nepgear and Uni didn't talk. They listened intently. "This blade is, as you have said before, ominous. It not only looks the part, but it plays the part as well. It is a special sword. It gains power through a particular method. The power it attains is remarkable, but the cost…"

"W-What is it?", asked Uni.

Histoire paused for a brief moment. "It gains power through… killing CPUs."

Both Nepgear and Uni were immediately stunned. They both had their eyes wide, and their mouths were agape. They controlled themselves after a few moments, but they both still looked nervous. "…P-Please… c-continue, Histoire."

"I know that this is very disturbing news, which is why I wanted to brace you both. This is basically an Anti-CPU weapon. I know not of why it was made, who made it, or when it was made, but I know what it does. The more CPUs lives the sword claims, the stronger it becomes. It must have been created for a very important reason, and at a very dire time. Or… to subdue an evil Goddess. But we do not know."

Nepgear and Uni had no idea that such a weapon existed. They wanted to know why it did, and how it did, but as Histoire had said, they didn't know.

"But I have some questions for you all."

"Okay…", mumbled Nepgear.

"You all found this blade in LAN Castle, correct?"

Uni nodded. "Yes. In a sealed room in the underground layer."

"It was sealed with magic.", added Nepgear.

Histoire pondered over this. "And the man that you said handed the request to you… He was fully covered in some sort of robe?"

"Yes.", said Nepgear.

"And he was nowhere to be found upon your return to the Guild?"

"Yes.", answered Uni.

"I see…", said Histoire, with a hand to her chin.

"D-Do you have leads on him?", asked Uni.

"No. But I have my suspicions. Him leaving after giving you a large sum of Credits, as well as him not collecting the blade, lead me to a conclusion. He wanted one of you to have the blade."

Uni looked astonished. "W-What?!" She kept her voice down, but her surprise was still present.

"W…Why? Why would he want that?", asked Nepgear.

"He must want one of you to use the blade for some reason. Which leads me to my next point. I suspect that that man is not alone. There must be an organization, or a following, of sort that he is a part of. A group that wishes for the death of the CPUs, and quite possibly, a single ruling Goddess."

"B-But… Why?", asked Uni.

"I do not know. I am going to conduct further investigations. But for now… Be careful. Please." Nepgear and Uni both nodded at Histoire with nervous understanding. "I am sorry to spring this upon the both of you on a day that was meant to be fun and relaxing, but I did tell you that I would inform you when I found out, Nepgear."

"I-It's fine, Histoire."

"A-And I'm guessing… That you'll be keeping the sword under high security?", asked Uni.

"Indeed. It is in my custody." Silence befell the trio for a moment. "But that is all for now. I am sorry to put a damper on things, but you now know the importance of me telling you."

"Yes…", answered both Candidates.

"And again, I will tell you… both… of any information when I find out about it. So for now, keep this a secret."

"We'll do that.", answered Nepgear.

"Thank you. I'm sorry to leave on a sour note, but I am quite tired. I'll be heading off to bed to try and sleep."

"G-Goodnight, Histoire…", said Nepgear.

"Goodnight, Histoire…", said Uni.

"Goodnight." And off the fairy flew.

"Nepgear."

"Y-Yes…"

"I'm worried."

"Me too."

"I… I don't know what's going to happen."

"Me neither. And… And…"

"But we'll be fine. We'll make it through the future, however grim it might seem."

"Uni… Some people want us to kill each other! They want us to kill each other!"

"I know, and that's… a very, very disturbing thought."

"It is… It's very…"

"But we won't kill each other. We don't have to listen and live our lives like that. Whether it be one man, or an entire group, we won't give in."

"B-But I'm still worried… What if they have a way to make us do that?"

"Like… they'll force us?"

"Mmm…"

"We won't. It's not worth it. It will never be worth it."

"I hope so…"

"And we don't even know if what Histoire said about their being a group, or even them wanting us to… kill each other… is true. They were just speculations."

"B-But… it's probably the truth. Histoire has reason to believe it, and she's usually right…"

"Y-You're right… But even then…!"

"We won't kill each other. I couldn't."

"I hate even thinking about it. About… doing that to any of us… To Noire… To you…"

"To anyone."

"Mmm."

"We won't."

Silence once again fell between them.

"We'll be alright, won't we, Uni?"

"We… We'll be fine."

"We won't have to fight each other?"

"We won't."

"Please, promise me that-"

"I promise."

Nepgear had tears in her eyes.

"D-Don't cry now! I-If you do, then I'll feel like crying…", said Uni, wiping at her eyes.

Nepgear hugged Uni and brought her close.

"Wha-?!"

"Uni, please… I don't want to lose you, or my sister, or anyone else…"

Uni let Nepgear hug her, and eventually returned it. "N-Nepgear, if anyone sees us…"

"O-Oh, right… S-Sorry…" They readjusted themselves. Luckily, nobody had spotted them. "I'll always be there for you, Uni."

"I'll… also be there for you… always…", said Uni, looking towards the ground. Uni had trouble saying these sorts of things, but she felt like she had to at this point. She was still embarrassed, though.

"Thank you, Uni."

Uni looked up from the ground. "Thank you… Nepgear."

"You've always helped me through my tough times, you know that?", said Nepegar, with a smile.

"Y-You've… been the same way for me…"

"We've helped each other through a lot, haven't we?"

"Yes…"

"Let's keep it that way, please? Please, keep relying on me, so that I can rely on you."

"W-Well… I suppose I can…"

"Thank you, Uni."

"Mmm…"

"No matter what happens, we'll rely on each other."

"Mmm."

"Always?"

Uni once again looked to Nepgear with a smile.

"Always."

* * *

**And that's that.**

**As I said, I'm sorry that it's a bit shorter than usual. But I do feel like this one came out how I wanted, and I hope you all enjoyed it a ton.**

**I enjoyed all the characters interacting, and I hope you all enjoyed them too! I hope they seemed natural.**

**As always, any and all reviews are welcomed. Whatcha think about this chapter? Or the possible future? Or the characters? Or anything, really. **

**But I think that's all from me this time, so yeah. I hope you enjoyed!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	21. A Pleasant and Productive Day

**Hello all, it's me again. I thank you for coming here to read this chapter, first of all. I know it's been quite some time… more than three weeks.**

**But that should get better very soon! I'm pretty much done with my tests, meaning that I'll have more time to spend on writing.**

**So that's good news!**

**Also, chapter twenty! Yay! That's something to celebrate, right?**

**Other than that, yeah.**

**Onto the chapter. I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

**Chapter 20:**

"Hmmm…"

In the Basilicom of Leanbox, Vert was sitting at a table with her hands crossed. "Hmmm…" She raised her left hand, placing her fingers by her chin. It looked like she was in deep thought. "Hmm…Hmmm…" She nodded her head up and down. She was in a moral dilemma.

Vert had woken up that morning, gotten cleaned up and dressed, had sorted her hair out, and had made her way to the kitchen. She had opened up her wide collection of tea and looked throughout it. She had reached towards one particular type, being Assam tea, but had laid eyes upon a different tea in the process, being Nilgiri tea.

She did not know which one to choose. Assam tea was naturally sweet and had a creamy texture to it. It smelt quite nice, with a very distinct scent, but there were many elements to it. Nilgiri was also sweet, but it was more of a natural sweetness than Assam tea. It was slightly citrus-like. It has a subtle taste, and is said to be quite mellow despite having an intense aroma.

Truly, it was a moral dilemma.

Vert perked up quickly, looking to the roof in realization. She would simply have the tea that she had not had for a longer period of time. "So, Assam it is."

Vert sat for a while, thinking about her own thought process. It was quite a simple solution, with a simple way to arrive at an answer. Perhaps not all dilemmas had complex methods to find a solution? Vert pondered for a while, as she did enjoy doing that at times. "But anyway…"

She went ahead and brewed a cup of Assam tea. She sat back down after she finished, taking in the smell of the tea, detecting all the parts of it. She took a sip. "Tea really does help me wake up in the mornings…" It helped Vert prepare for the upcoming day, as she would be going out to do some quests, with more intention than just that, of course.

She was going to conduct her own sort of investigation regarding the pair. Vert remembered back to when she had met the two in a Guild, and what the two had said. They had never been to any other part of Gamindustri other than Leanbox. In this dimension, at least. Which means that they had landed in Leanbox upon arrival. Vert was not sure how long the two had been in this dimension, but surely, surely, they had settled down somewhere for a period of time.

Perhaps she could find said location, or locations, and hopefully gather more information. Any remnants of them being there, any clues, anything of that sort. Vert would head out soon. She needed to go to a Guild first. She would fly there, naturally, and pick up a few quests to do. That is what she decided to do.

But first, she had to finish her tea.

* * *

**At a Guild in Leanbox:**

Vert arrived at a Guild that was on the outskirts of Leanbox city. It was near a forest that reached inland. She disengaged HDD and was welcomed by civilians and employees alike. As always, Vert would wave at them warmly. She really loved her citizens and how appreciative they were towards her.

Vert already had a plan of action, so she went to the Guild employees at the counter and asked for any quests in two areas. They were both closer to the South edge of Leanbox, so it was a small ways away. One of the locations was near the start of a river, somewhat close to a large mountain. The second location was further down that very same river, and was on an island situated in a lake than ran off from the river.

She picked up some collection quests as well as some monster slaying quests. There wasn't much else to do, so Vert decided to head off. She left the Guild, greeted some more civilians, and transformed. She flew upwards and towards the South of Leanbox. As she was flying, she looked to her right.

The Golden Summit that once was the source of S-Sha's strength was there, glistening in the sunlight. It stood up against the sky. The other Golden Towers throughout Gamindustri were also still up. Would they one day disappear, or would they remain as they are now forever?

The Gold Third, although not as strong as they were before, were still quite capable. They were all busy with their own things now, outside of saving the world and other such occurrences. Vert wasn't sure about the other nation's Gold Third member's, but she did know that S-Sha, along with E-Sha, were both continuing on their path towards making movies.

S-Sha had mentioned before that both she and E-Sha had done that in the past, and that something during the production caused S-Sha to have an accident, and E-Sha taking S-Sha's soul into her own body. As such, they were both in the same body, but after the events of the past, neither of them minded. So, they both decided to continue with their passion for film production. Vert wondered how they were doing. She had not seen them in a while…

…Two souls in one body?

That was a rather interesting thing to think about, as a concept. What would it feel like? S-Sha mentioned before that it was like they normally took turns for who was in control, and E-Sha had taken control while S-Sha was asleep. So was it like the other soul was being taken along for a ride, and could witness everything while the other was in control? They did change on the fly on occasion, which Vert had witnessed through multiple conversations with them.

An interesting topic, but it wasn't was Vert was here to do today. So she kept flying.

* * *

**Minutes later:**

Vert arrived at the first area. The dungeon's name was Halo Forest. Here, she was supposed to collect some plants to give to the Guild. She was also supposed to defeat a few creatures.

She walked forward. As the name suggested, there were trees around the path of the dungeon. There was an immediate incline that lead into a circular area, where she would encounter her first foes. In front of Vert were two bird creatures that, for some reason, had snorkels on their faces. For what reason they did, and how they managed to put the snorkels on, Vert did not know. They were Chocopi, but were named Marine Chocopi due to the snorkel.

Whether or not they actually did, or could, swim, was something Vert hadn't thought about. But, for now…

Vert dashed towards the two birds. They turned to face her. As Vert got close to the first creature, it flew towards her with its talons aimed at her. Vert responded by holding her spear with both hands, and angled it so that the talons of the bird clasped onto the spear's pole. Vert then released her left hand and quickly tilted the spear to the right, throwing the bird to the ground.

Vert spun her spear in her hand and sliced across the creature, destroying its mask. The second creature had fired a small gust of wind at Vert, aiming to knock her over. Vert simply spun while moving backwards, and as she faced the creature, threw her spear at it. It pierced the bird in its abdomen, lodging through it. The creature disappeared, and Vert summoned her spear back into her hand.

The first bird had recovered and had shot a poison ball at Vert. Vert sidestepped to the right and gripped her spear with both hands. She rushed towards the bird and initiated her Rainy Ratnapura skill. She stabbed into the creature six times before slicing across its body while spinning on the spot.

"That was a decent start. Oh, there's a plant." Vert walked over to her right and bent down, plucking the plant from the ground. It was a simple herb, green in colour. It was smooth and had no flower. "This is what they use in healing potions…"

Vert continued forward up another incline. She looked to her left and could see a variety of trees not far away. There were birds flying between them, and Vert could see the nests they had built.

She faced forward and encountered four more enemies. Two of them were the same type of bird she had faced before, but the other two were small rabbit like creatures. They had fur around their neck, and were light blue in colour. Vert summoned her spear back and let the enemies approach her. The first was a rabbit, which Vert simply pushed back with wind magic. The second was a bird. It lashed at Vert with its beak. Vert spun her spear towards it, smacking its face with the blunt side of her weapon. The creatures snorkel had slightly come off.

It was a small distance away from Vert, so she casted Sylhet Spear at it, defeating it. The next bird came, and Vert swiped at its wings before it had a chance to attack. The other rabbit was behind the bird, which Vert noticed. She somersaulted over the bird, slicing along it as she moved over it, and landed on her feet. As she did, she spun low, swiping her spear around her. This made contact with the rabbit, hitting it away. Vert then thrust her spear into it and faced the last rabbit.

Wait, no, these things were actually called Rabii. Rabii Blooms, to be exact. So, Vert faced the last Rabii Bloom. The creature swiped at Verts legs, with Vert backing away each time. She then effortlessly sliced diagonally, sending the creature away from her where it would shatter into crystals.

There were more herbs by the edge of this section. Vert collected these as well, and had gathered the required amount. But she still had some monsters to deal with. She looked around, noting all the different flowers that were either lining parts of the path or were a bit away from the path. Small animals ran between them across the ground.

Vert continued walking and had reached a decline that lead to the last group of enemies. There were three enemies, and all of them were on the list. They were reptilian creatures that had four legs and snake heads. They were quite large, more so than Vert. They were called Cobra Hero's. They were dark grey in colour, although their heads were lined with red or purple.

They all immediately noticed Vert, and faced her. The area was lower than the previous areas, and was actually rather small. Vert would have to be quick and not get cornered. She dashed to the first one and decided to make quick work of it. She initiated Kinestra Slash.

She dashed across it, slashing at it with lightning fast speed as she moved past it. She faced the remaining two Cobras while the first enemy had already been slashed into crystals. The closest one lunged at Vert, who blocked it with her spear. It bit at the pole, trying to drive Vert backwards. Vert pushed back with both hands. The second enemy had spat out poison at Vert while she was struggling, hitting her. Vert managed to throw the enemy she was struggling with off, and backed away.

She looked down at her dress, noticing that there was a patch of purple on it where the poison had hit her. Vert looked slightly peeved. "Now, we can't have that. I won't have you ruining my dress any further.", said Vert, pointing her spear at the Cobra who had spat at her.

A focused beam of wind shot out of the tip of the spear, slicing straight into the enemy. It promptly evaporated into crystals. "I really hope I can get this out…", mused Vert, looking back down towards her dress.

The final enemy lunged at Vert, and Vert once again blocked it with the pole of her spear. She raised her arms quickly, bringing the Cobra's head upwards. She then kicked off of the enemy, jumping backwards. As Vert was in the air, she cast a spell at the snake. It was a spell that slowed down the enemy. This would make it easier to deal with…

Vert walked towards the enemy and it lunged once more at Vert, although it was much slower. So much so that Vert could easily slice across its neck as it attempted to bite down.

"The stain is still there, it seems. I'll have to sort that out, later." Vert looked around for any drops. She spotted one in the place she had slain the second snake. It was a fang of the Cobra, and she needed one for a quest. "And it seems like we are done here! One area clear."

But what would she do about the mark on her dress? There was no way she could let people see her with a patch of purple on the side of her clothes. "Ah, I know what to do!" She transformed. This way, her clothes would not be visible. She would stay in this form until she would arrive back at the Basilicom. She was doing quests, so it was a valid reason to transform.

A genius idea.

"Well then, onto the next one.", stated Vert, launching straight up into the air.

She elevated herself for a while and then hovered in place. She crossed her arms and thought for a moment. She had not seen any place where the pair could've been. Nothing obvious, at least. Vert doubted that they would make a base or camp so close to a dungeon and path taken by adventurers or travelers. When she was done with the quests, she would look in other places.

She floated above the forest that stretched out through the land. They would probably have stayed in the forest, though. That would be how they would've avoided unnecessary attention. They would need to get supplies at times, probably, so they had to have come out to the city.

She was facing the Golden Summit again. This brought up another thought for Vert. Her and the others had, sometime ago, obtained new Goddess forms. NEXT Forms. They were very, very powerful, with the cost of draining more shares than regular HDD. But… the four of them hadn't transformed into them for quite some time, as there was no need to. But now… there may soon be a reason to do so. What with the pair attempting to kill Rei.

Renna and Gil.

Vert knew that she was strong. She knew that the others were strong as well. The reason they were all defeated by Renna was due to them being surprised and panicked. It wouldn't happen again. Things were different now. Vert thought this, and it brought ease to her thoughts. Surely, they would each be able to contend with Renna when next they met. They each had to be strong enough to do so. But teamwork was still vital, even if they could each handle her.

But anyway, returning to the main topic…

Did they even still have NEXT Forms? Vert wasn't sure. They had been given a Hyper Share Crystal that housed regular share energy as well as energy provided by the Golden Summits. This elevated the Goddesses to another form. But it was still energy, and energy is used up over time. Would they still be able to transform into the NEXT Forms?

"Hmmm…"

They would need to find out. Vert could transform now, yes, but Vert did not want to unnecessarily use shares if she didn't have to. They'd only really used the forms twice before. One, when they first acquired them. And two, when they fought against Kurome. Should Vert transform now? It would only be for a few seconds…

Or maybe… maybe they shouldn't rely upon their NEXT Forms. If they still did have the forms, they should not rely upon them. They should not resort to using them in every dire situation. The forms should not become a fallback. They were given their regular HDD forms for a reason. To protect the people and the world. They were given that power, as it should be enough for them to protect all that they need to.

They should be strong enough to handle any situation without the need for the NEXT Forms. That is the conclusion Vert came to. But… She could not deny that they may have to use them, regardless, since anything could happen.

Vert nodded to herself and flew off towards the next area.

* * *

**Minutes later:**

Vert arrived at the second location, which was a bit of an odd place, really. Its name was Hyrarule Plateau, which was very close to an incredibly popular Loweean game title. Vert had played through the games and enjoyed them, but that was beside the point.

A Loweean name for an area that was situated in Leanbox? How did that come to be? And who would do such a thing? Would Blanc…? No, Blanc would never do such a thing. Vert could imagine Blanc shrugging with her arms in a position that conveyed "I dunno", and Blanc's face gave that impression as well. A thin mouthed expression accompanied by half-lidded eyes.

The geography of the area was also Lowee like, as there were many locations in Lowee with this very same layout, and there were no other locations in Leanbox like it. There were hexagonal plots of grass that were all joined together to make the different platforms. The very first platform was very small, but there was a teleportation device to get to the next one. There were more of these devices throughout the dungeon.

The platforms themselves were floating in the air. There were trees that resembled mushrooms throughout the dungeon and they were in a variety of colours, such as pink, yellow and green. The sky close above the dungeon had white lining, like the wires of a circuit running across it. It was only over this dungeon, though…

It was all very peculiar. Perhaps this island was once part of Lowee many years ago, and had split off? But, how would it have come here? It would had to have navigated around most of Gamindustri, moving through the water and then settling here. Was that even possible? It was all so strange…

But enough of that, Vert had to complete some quests. She doubted the pair would have ever settled down here, so she wasn't hopeful in that regard. It wasn't a place to stay if you wanted to hide. She touched the device and was transported to a much larger platform. Vert could see that it extended forward and to her left.

There was another device to her left, but she would eventually get there anyway, so she progressed forward. Vert saw some more material that she needed to collect. There were a few particular flowers and other plants that she needed to gather. Progressing through the dungeon while in her HDD was rather easy, seeing as she could just float everywhere.

She then encountered her first group of enemies. There were three of them. One of them was a circular piece of machinery that was found in many places around Gamindustri. It was a Bit, and this one was a ZZ Bit if Vert remembered correctly, which she usually did.

The second was a squid-like creature that stood upright on its tentacles. It had a moustache on it. It actually was a squid, but for some reason it had decided to live on land, so its name was changed slightly. It was called a Squeed, and this variation was named the Moustache Squeed for… obvious reasons.

And lastly, there was a dogoo. Its body was smaller than a usual dogoo, but it floated above the ground and had tentacles protruding from the bottom of it. This type had the ability to paralyze people, although it still wasn't much of a threat. Especially to one as skilled as Vert.

She smirked and summoned her spear, floating towards the creatures. She twirled her spear around in her hand, waiting for the enemies to notice her. They eventually did, and they started advancing. The closest one was the Squeed, with the Bit following it. The dogoo stayed back a bit.

"Hmph, as if you can avoid me.", said Vert, raising her hand, preparing to throw her spear. She propelled her arm forward, sending her weapon throughout the air. It landed right in front of the dogoo.

The dogoo seemed to look at the spear for a moment before reverting back to its usual stance. The spear then exploded in a flash of green, completely vaporizing the dogoo. Vert summoned her weapon back and targeted the Squeed. It threw a tentacle at her, but Vert reacted immediately. She thrust her spear down into the limb, impaling it and lodging it into the ground. Vert then kicked the Squeed away, causing it to start to fly backwards.

However, it was nailed to the ground, so when the tentacle was at its limits, the Squeed would retract backwards. It came back to Vert, who kicked it again. She then repeated the process twice and retracted her spear. She made a simple cut at the Squeed's body, defeating it.

All that was left was the Bit. It hovered in place, preparing an energy blast. When it fired, Vert simply moved to the left. The Bit prepared another shot while moving backwards, but Vert spun around while cutting at the midsection of the Bit, severing it into two pieces. She saw that it had dropped something. An Illegal SSD and an Illegal Memory. Two items she needed.

"How lucky. I do hope that carries on into the future, for my quests and for my games." She carried on forward, floating down an incline. Thank goodness she had decided to use her HDD, as each platform had a drop between them. It was much easier to float.

Upon reaching the bottom, she encountered two more dogoos. Unfortunately for Vert, they were prepared for her. They both lashed out at her as she reached the bottom, and both had hit her.

She was paralyzed. Vert floated in the air, her body twitching slightly. Paralysis was not a pleasant experience to go through. It was as if her body was out of her control. Her muscles moved by themselves, causing her body to move slightly all the time.

The dogoos were approaching Vert. However…

"How dare you, you slimy creatures…"

Thanks to Vert being a Goddess, as well as her being in HDD, she had heightened immunity to paralysis. As such, it did not last very long, as unpleasant as it was. Vert remembered back to when they had encountered the pair right after reaching Ultradimension. Uni used her paralysis bullets and attempted to stop them. She shot at Renna, but Gil had stepped in front.

Vert remembered how she had cut across his arm. It had not been too deep, but it was a long slice. Even then, he stepped in front of the bullet as if it was natural. He was quite protective, wasn't he? They were siblings, after all.

Siblings…

Vert was brought back to her senses after a few seconds. She shook her head and looked forward at the enemies. She summoned two glyphs and sent spears out of them. They cut straight through both dogoos. They had both dropped a few tentacles. Unfortunately, these were also on the list.

She continued onwards and found two rabbit like creatures. They were quite similar to the Rabiis in Halo Forest. These ones were called Blue Moons. One of them jumped straight at Vert from a large distance away. Vert simply had to thrust at it as it got close, impaling it through its abdomen.

The second one moved slowly towards Vert, and Vert decided to also move slowly towards it. They came to a standstill, and the Moon prepared itself. There were a few seconds where nothing happened, and then the Moon jumped at Vert. Vert caught it by its fur with her left hand and threw it forward. She summoned another spear, which promptly cut through the creature.

Vert decided to retrace her steps and head back to the teleportation device she hadn't used at the beginning. She had planned on continuing forward to kill more enemies at first, but that was because she had not anticipated getting the drops she needed. Now that she had everything, she only had one more target. And that was where the device led.

As such, she didn't need to kill any other enemies she had already faced. She made her way back to the device and activated it. She was then teleported to a platform with one enemy on it. It was a large floating fish creature which was light blue in colour. It had two protrusions from its face that looked like tentacles. They gave the impression that the fish had a really long moustache. It was called a Goali Wyrm.

Vert moved forward, making her presence known to the Wyrm. It faced Vert and immediately shot lightning at her. Vert flew to her right to avoid the magic attack. She then rushed to the Wyrm and thrust her spear towards it, but the Wyrm floated backwards as if it was swimming through the air. It avoided Vert's attack and reacted in kind by swiping its tail towards Vert while it turned.

Vert was struck by the tail and was pushed back a small distance. She flicked her head, sending her ponytail flowing to the left. She spun her spear with both hands and then held it in her right hand. She once again rushed at the enemy. When she was close enough, she floated higher into the air so she was slightly above the Wyrm. She prepared her right arm, thrusting her spear towards the Wyrm while rocketing towards the ground. The Wyrm narrowly avoided the strike, but Vert quickly dislodged her spear and sliced across the left side of the creature. It briefly recoiled in pain, adjusting itself while focusing on Vert.

"One for one, it seems.", said Vert, taking an upright posture in the air.

The Wyrm was the one to initiate an attack this time, aiming to ram straight into Vert. Vert quickly rose in the air, letting the Wyrm float under her. She then flew to its neck and placed her spear along it, locking the Wyrm in a chokehold. The Wyrm writhed and squirmed, trying to throw its attacker off. It flew higher into the air.

Vert pulled both her arms back, which in turn pulled the Wyrm's head up. The Wyrm changed its direction, and Vert was flying the beast while upside down. She then pulled her arms back again, directing the Wyrm towards the ground. The Wyrm, in an effort to crush Vert, turned its back face the ground. Vert saw this and let go of the creature, letting it crash into the ground. She then quickly flew towards it, stabbing into its belly. She had defeated it.

"Well, at least one of them posed somewhat of a threat."

Vert was done with her quests that she had chosen, so that was that. She could explore to her leisure. She teleported back using the device, and then used the other device to teleport to the first platform. She left the dungeon and flew upwards into the sky.

"Where should I start?"

It was still morning, so Vert really did have a lot of time to do what she wanted. Perhaps she would go back to the Basilicom and get changed into another pair of clothes while letting her current pair clean? And on the way, she would hand in the quests to the Guild.

"Yes, I think I will do that."

And so, she faced towards the city and launched towards it.

* * *

**Leanbox Basilicom:**

Vert had arrived at the Basilicom and gotten changed into another pair of the same clothes. She had placed her dirty clothes into a washing basket that Vert had asked be handled by a staff member. Vert would clean it herself, but she had an objective today, and she didn't want the poison to ruin the clothes. Once Vert was ready to go, she stood in her room for a while.

She was not particularly thirsty, but drank a glass of water to rejuvenate herself. She then stretched her arms up into the air and got onto the tips of her toes. "And I think that is all." She walked through the halls of her Basilicom, being greeted by and greeting back the different employees she walked past. Eventually, she once again stood outside her Basilicom. She transformed and flew up into the air. Where would she go first?

She looked about the vast expanse of land, her nation of Leanbox. The pair could have stayed in the forest, but where they would've, Vert did not know. It must have been somewhere off of any beaten path, but accessible. There were probably many places like that.

She looked over to the Golden Summit. Now, there was no way that the pair would have stayed in there for a long time, seeing as how it was created not long ago. But… they could have explored it and left some sort of impact? That place was special, and although Vert did not know how everything in the tower worked, she could imagine that something might have happened. Simply because Vert did not know all about it was a reason that something unprecedented could have happened. There was always the possibility that it could have reacted in some way to the pair.

There was only one way to find out, although Vert was not getting her hopes up. It really could be an uneventful trip, but so be it. Vert had plenty of time left in the day. She had not been to the tower in quite some time, so this trip also served as a sort of patrol. She looked up into the sky and saw that the sun had not reached its apex. It was still before midday, then.

"Off to the Summit."

* * *

**Leanbox Golden Summit:**

Vert entered the first floor of the tower. The path ahead of her split off into three directions, and she went left first. The first platform she looked down had nothing out of the ordinary. A few monsters were about, walking around and minding their own business. Vert walked back and went down the middle path, which again, had nothing out of the ordinary. She then climbed up the right path, which is where she had to go in order to reach the second floor. Again, nothing suspicious.

She did encounter a few enemies such as Squeed and Bits, but she would cast her Sylhet Spears at them, defeating them from a distance. Vert had looked throughout the first floor, so onto the second she went. She entered it, where she was once again presented with three different paths. Vert knew the layout of the dungeon, so she had already thought of an efficient way of progressing.

She walked down the middle path, looking about it. She found a teleportation device, and activated it. She was teleported onto an elevated set of platforms that she could view the rest of the floor from. She progressed further through the dungeon and came to a stop at the edge of one that overlooked the other platforms. Once again, monsters were going about their ways.

Vert sighed. This was probably going to end up solely as a patrolling outing. At least, in the tower. She continued to look throughout the tower floor. The platforms were comprised of many green and gold squared that were joined together, like a chessboard with its places all muddled up. They floated in the air with no supports under them.

They looked like they were made of glass, or something similar, but they were not slippery at all. How odd. And around Vert was space. Empty space with what seemed to be stars, or a night sky, and it seemed to stretch on without end. How very odd indeed. There was no explanation for it.

The tower was mysterious and special. As if a magical energy was constantly throughout it. Vert retracted herself from the edge of the platform and walked towards the next floor. The third floor comprised of one singular platform. A path ahead of Vert lead onto a large square space, which lead onto another path leading to the next floor. Was this not the platform where Vert had previously encountered the bigger Neptune and had to briefly fight her? When she and Nepgear were dealing with S-Sha's plans?

Vert wondered how that Neptune was doing…

She and Uzume had taken on quite a task. Vert hoped that they were doing alright and that they were progressing well.

Vert moved on to the fourth floor, which was slightly complicated. She had to navigate through many elevated platforms, jumping from platform to platform, eventually reaching the top. It didn't help that they were a few enemies along the way. They were these weird creatures that travelled on… paper aeroplanes? The creatures themselves were comprised of thin blue lines, like stick men, and had small pink circles for faces. They were very weird looking. They were delicate, though, so Vert only had to swipe them out of the air and they were finished.

Once at the top, she continued. She took a left turn, and noticed a teleportation device. She activated it, was transported to a single platform with nothing on it, then teleported back. She continued moving and came to the end of a platform, where another device was present. She used it, and was transported to another platform with two more devices.

"So many of them…" She used one, was greeted by an empty platform, returned, used the other one, was greeted by another empty platform, returned again, and used the first device to get back on track. "That was… uneventful…" She progressed back to the set of platforms she had climbed up and then walked down a separate path. She climbed a few more platforms and saw that there were two more devices.

Vert looked between them. If her memory served her well, which it did, then the device on her left would take her to her desired location. As such, she chose device on her right. "As is the logic in video games." She landed on another platform with nothing on it. She immediately went back and used the other device. She landed on a single platform that had the entrance to the next floor. "Almost done…"

She reached the fifth and final floor, which was almost exactly the same as the third floor. It was one platform. A path extended forward to it, which had two small offshoots that lead nowhere, and the main path lead to the platform. The only difference between this floor and the third one was that there was no path leading to another floor. Where there would be a path stood a golden throne, fit for a ruler. It extended upwards, and Vert spotted an empty shape. That is where S-Sha's Golden Crystal had been. But it was there no more.

Vert looked around the platform. There was, once again, nothing out of the ordinary. She walked forward and took her seat on the throne.

"Hmmm…"

This was the area where Vert and Nepgear had encountered S-Sha and E-Sha. S-Sha was going to sacrifice one million souls to create a body for E-Sha. E-Sha manifested herself as her own body and spoke to S-Sha, convincing her to stop her plans. After a brief confrontation, S-Sha did indeed stop. S-Sha and E-Sha inhabited the same body without issues ever since. This was one of the reasons this tower was special.

It allowed a soul without its own body to manifest in a corporeal form. Vert had witnessed it herself. Vert finished with that thought and got up, heading for the previous floor.

She reached the platform of the fourth floor and saw the teleportation device. Vert thought about how many more devices she had to use in order to reach the bottom. She stood still, staring at the device. She curled her eyebrows upwards and opened her mouth slightly, taking a face of displeasure while letting out a sigh.

* * *

**A few minutes later:**

"Dear me…", said Vert, who had, upon exiting the tower, transformed into her HDD and floated up into the air. Where to next? She flew off to the forest, where she would explore next. Unfortunately, Vert could not fly very fast when she had to be below tree level. It was a forest, after all. But she had time. As such, she lowered herself close to the ground and floated in between the trees.

The only problem with exploring the forest is that she would only be able to tell if the pair had been here if they had left anything behind. Any land formations may just be how the ground formed, so if the pair had left any crater or mark on the earth, Vert could easily overlook it as a natural structure, so she slowly looked throughout the ground.

She saw many animals that would make the forest their home. Whether they were flying around the trees, scurrying about the ground, or climbing through the branches, they all lived here. She reached a small clearing where light pierced through the trees. There were a few rocks laid about, but they didn't seem to be in any particular pattern. Some leaves were scattered about the ground. Vert admired this scene for a moment and then continued.

She found a large rock that had an opening under it. If Vert had stayed here, it would provide shelter from any rain or storms. The pair could very well have stayed here at some point, but there were no traces of them doing so. Vert floated lower and entered the opening. It was open and high enough for a person to comfortably stand up straight without any issue.

She floated over to the walls and looked throughout them. If they had been here, perhaps they had left some sort of marking on the walls? Most of the wall was smooth, with there being scratches in some sections. But nothing that gave any indication of humans having stayed here. There was still the possibility that they had been here, though.

Vert continued exploring. She found another small clearing, except there was a large decline in the terrain. It almost looked like a small crater. Grass and flowers littered the ground, giving the scene a very serene feeling.

Vert continued again. She went on like this for a few hours. She noted that the sun was starting to set. She would soon leave.

She floated through the trees, hearing all the sounds around her. It was not very windy, but she could hear the leaves rustling around. Vert could hear some animals and insects making noises. She slowed down and spotted a log lying down on the ground. She floated down and sat on the log, looking up, seeing that the sky was getting darker. She closed her eyes. She could hear everything around her. It was calming.

When she opened her eyes, she noted that a few lights were floating around her. She got up and floated off of the ground slowly. These lights… They were light bugs. They gently floated through the air, producing a yellowy-green glow from parts of their bodies. They were all around Vert. Above her, under her, and level with her. They didn't get too close, but they were not far away either.

Vert looked up again towards the sky, seeing that it was even darker than before. She floated like that for a few seconds and smiled to herself. She looked down and closed her eyes, giving a small huff of amusement. She started floating upwards again, well above the trees. She looked towards her city, seeing the lights in the distance.

Vert thought about the day. She had completed a few quests and handed them in on her way to the Basilicom. That was quite productive work. She had traversed the Golden Summit, scouting it for any signs of the pair, to no avail. But it had also served as a patrol, so it was productive. And for the remainder of the day she had looked throughout the forest.

She had found no definite proof of the pair having stayed here, although Vert was confident that they had. But even so, regardless of her not finding any signs of them, she had seen and explored many small, beautiful parts of the forest. It hadn't exactly been the most productive outing, but it was a pleasant one. A nice change of pace.

And that was all she had done today. Vert smiled to herself, still floating in the air. "Well then, it's time to return." And so Vert flew off towards the Basilicom. A nice cup of tea would be very nice to have. Which would she have? Probably Nilgiri tea.

She would get to the Basilicom, brew a nice cup of tea, and relax. She would then probably play video games for a while. But first, she had to get there.

* * *

**A pleasant day indeed.**

**As you know, this chapter only had one character, being Vert. As such, there's not too much dialogue in it. It's mostly what she's thinking and what she experiences. ****I hope it came out alright, since it's my first time doing a chapter with a single character in it.**

**I do feel like it turned out nicely, but let me know what you think.**

**Reviews and stuff are very nice to see. It lets me know what the people who read my story think of it. Hearing your opinions is very informative and nice.**

**I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! And I hope you'll enjoy the future ones.**

**So, as always…**

**Goodbye for now!**


	22. Project Progress

**Hellooo!**

**I'm back! Yeah, two weeks again…**

**But good news! I'm officially done with school, so I have much more time on my hands now. So expect the chapters to be more frequent. I've already got a pretty clear image of where I want the next few to go!**

**But anyway, yeah! **

**Have fun!**

* * *

**Chapter 21:**

It was an early morning in Ultradimension Lowee, being around five o' clock with the sun still down. A glimmer of light did find its way over the horizon, though.

"Side to side… touch your toes…"

Uzume was up and fully dressed, but not in her usual clothes. She had on a white vest with orange lining, accompanied by an orange pair of shorts that didn't pass her thighs. The shorts had two white lines on either leg, reaching from the top to the bottom of them along the middle. She also had on a pair of active wear running shoes, black in colour with white laces. She was currently in the bathroom.

"And… reach up…"

She was going for an early morning run. She didn't want to wake the others up, so she had gotten ready as quietly as possible. She had woken up around a half hour ago. She rolled her head clockwise a few times, then anticlockwise. She had a blue sports bag that held her usual clothes, a grey towel to use when she was done, and a bottle of water that should be enough for her. Lowee wasn't particularly hot, but exercise would still be tiring.

Uzume bounced on the tips of her toes a few times, loosening up the muscles in her legs. "And… that should be good enough." She was going to leave soon, as she had already eaten a bowl of cereal and had cleaned herself up. "Ah, wait! The others would wonder where I am if they woke up!" Uzume briefly thought about for a solution, standing with her left hand at her hip and her right hand to her chin while looking slightly upwards.

"Eh, a note should do." Uzume walked through into the lounge area and scrounged around for any pieces of paper she could find, as well as a pen or marker. "There's gotta be somethin' around here! Surely" Sure enough, after rummaging through the cupboard in the kitchen, she found some small pieces of paper to write on, as well as a black pen. "What should I write…"

Uzume leaned on the kitchen counter with her pen to her lips, looking into the room and beyond the kotatsu. She then decided, and clicked the pen before writing on the paper. "I'm going for a run, I should be back before eight.-Uzume." She clicked her pen again. "Bingo!" She looked around, thinking of where to place the note. "It's a sticky note, so I should be able to put it… pretty much anywhere."

She instantly knew where to put it. She made her way to the sliding door leading into the bedroom and gently eased it open. She stood in the doorway, looking at her three partners, all of which were still asleep. She took a few steps in, silently moving to stand in front of the door. She placed the note to the door at a height where it would be easily seen. She then pressed against it to make sure that it nodded at it before sneaking out of the room, closing the door behind her…

"Wha… Uzu…me?"

…When she heard a voice. Uzume turned her head to face it and saw that Renna was looking at her. The light and slight commotion must've woken her up. "Hey, Rensy… don't mind me, go back to sleep…"

Renna had already moved out of her covers, sitting up and looking to Uzume with a smile. "I guess that's a no-go, huh?" Renna nodded at Uzume. "Alright, just… come here, I'll tell you then." Uzume left a small gap for Renna to slip through in the door. Renna thumbed up at Uzume and got up, walking into the lounge.

"So what're you doing up so early?", asked Renna, once they were both away from the bedroom door.

They were in the kitchen, and Renna was preparing a bowl of cereal. "Well I, uh… I wanted to go for a morning run. You know, stretch my legs, keep in shape, that kinda stuff."

"So that's why you're wearing those clothes!"

"Exactly. I even have a bag with stuff to get dressed into once I'm done."

Renna upturned her eyebrows. "Woah, what time did you get up to do all this?"

"At around half past four."

"You got ready pretty quick."

"Gotta be. It's good to be able to get organized quickly. Never know when you'll need to quickly get up and move."

"Mmm, I get that."

"Yeah."

Renna had placed her breakfast on the counter and had begun eating away at it. "So… yeah. I'm gonna head off now.", said Uzume, walking towards her bag in the lounge.

"Mmmm! MMMM!", noised Renna, moving her right hand at Uzume while her mouth was full.

Uzume blinked at Renna a few times, before huffing to herself. "You're pretty funny, Rensy."

Renna waved her hand at Uzume again. "Wait! I'll join you!"

"Huh?"

"I said I'll join you. It'll be nice for us to get out and see the city in the early morning, before everyone's up. I'll be quick, promise!"

Uzume figured that something like this would've happened, so she already knew her answer. "Yeah, sure. Just don't be too long. I've got some spare clothes if ya need."

"I… do. They should fit me, though.", said Renna, who then took in another mouthful of food.

"Great." Uzume looked through her inventory, eventually pulling out a black and purple variant of her own active clothes. "They're Neptune's, but I'm sure she doesn't mind you using them." She placed the clothes on the counter.

Renna nodded at Uzume and went to work at finishing her breakfast. In a minute or two, she was done. "I'll go get ready now!" Renna took the clothes and quickly went into the bathroom.

Uzume leaned against the wall of the lounge and could hear the shower turn on. She smiled to herself, and in a few minutes time, the shower was off.

"Done!", said Renna, as she walked into view.

"Cool. We should get moving."

"Um, well, just so you know, I do have other stuff to do today, and I thought you could maybe join me?"

"Like what?"

Renna lowered to a whisper. "Checking up on the project… It should be done either today or tomorrow."

"Ah, cool. I'm down for that."

"Great!"

"But before we leave…" Uzume quickly made her way to the bedroom, slid the door open slightly, and pulled the sticky note off. She found the pen she had previously used and adjusted what was on the paper. She scratched out some words on the paper, adding in a few. "We're going for a run, we should be back before…" Uzume thought for a while on what to change the time to.

"Just say that we'll be a few hours.", suggested Renna.

"Yeah, that works… "we should be back in a couple of hours.-Uzume and Renna." You got anything else to do?"

"Nope."

"Great."

"Got everything?"

"If you've put your clothes in the bag, yeah."

"Then we're good to go!"

"Alright, follow me.", said Uzume, who led the way out through the door after turning the lights off.

They walked outside of the hotel and looked at the buildings around them. Some streetlights were on, illuminating the roads. It was lighter than it was when Uzume first woke up, so even without the lights, the two of them could see. The shops and stalls were not open, although some workers seemed to be setting up at the moment. It was around half past five.

"I think that you should stretch a bit before we head out.", said Uzume, unsummoning the bag with everything in it.

"Sure. So why'd you even take the bag in the first place if you're just gonna make it go into your inventory?", asked Renna, who reached down to touch her toes.

"It keeps everything in one place so that I don't have to find each item separately. I just gotta find the bag. Makes it easier."

"Oh, that does make sense."

Uzume looked up at the sky, noting that the stars were no longer visible. They weren't visible when she woke up, either. Made sense, since the sun was shining a bit.

"Where're we heading through?", asked Renna, who was holding both hands up high, leaning to her left and right.

"I had a path, but that's gotta change. Since you've gotta head to that shop later."

"You've got something in mind?"

"We'll make it up as we go along.", said Uzume, waving a hand in reassurance.

Renna nodded as she stretched.

"I haven't even seen how they look yet.", said Uzume.

"Then it's pretty convenient that things worked out this way, right?"

"I guess so."

"They're super cool, don't worry!"

"I bet."

"They're similar in design to my boots. Except, you know…"

"They're gauntlets."

"Exactly." Renna stretched her back while looking towards the sky. "The sky's so nice when it's this early."

"Yeah, it sure is.", said Uzume, who followed Renna's gaze.

"Was there anything like this in the, uh, Zero Dimension?", asked Renna.

Uzume huffed, answering without shifting her gaze. "Nope. There wasn't any sunrise or sunset back there. It was only dark."

"Oh, wow. Like an eternal night?"

"I'm not even sure that's what it was. There was no moon, so I don't know."

"Oh…"

"Eh, it was fine. It made seeing back home, as well as this place, all the more special."

Renna stopped stretching, and looked at Uzume, who continued to stare out towards the sunrise, the rays brushing against her face. She shook her head and looked to Renna. "You ready?"

Renna nodded. "Lead the way!"

The two of them started to run through the city in the general direction of Dusty's shop. It was very nice to look at. There weren't many people passing them by, but when they did, they smiled at Renna and Uzume. The two of them didn't run at a very fast pace. They kept up with each other, staying close together. They passed through many more stalls and shops along the way, with some of their lights flicking on, and their employees opening for the day.

The two of them took a few turns here and there, running through the streets, a few alleyways, and across the roads. Uzume and Renna would communicate with head gestures, looking at each other in a way that asked "You good?", and then the other would nod. Sometimes, one of them would spot a particularly nice looking view, and would nudge each other while signaling the direction. They would run while looking at it.

More and more shop lights turned on, and some people even started lining up outside of them. They seemed to be passing into another area, as the stalls started to become less and less frequent. Dusty's store was in an older part of Lowee, and it seemed like they were gradually getting there. And they would. But for now, they ran, admiring the view around them.

* * *

**Back at the hotel:**

Neptune lied down on her stomach with her arms out in front of her. She groggily drew her hands back, leaning on her arms to lift her upper body off the floor. She sleepily looked around her while rubbing her eyes. She almost lost her balance since she was leaning on one arm. She flailed her right arm about as she tried to regain her balance.

"Guess that woke me up!" She stayed in that position while looking around her. She noted that Renna and Uzume weren't in their beds. Were they already up and about? She looked around some more and noticed that Gil was still asleep in his bed. It was good to see that she wasn't alone.

Neptune smiled slightly. She rolled onto her back and got up, walking to the sliding door. She noticed that there was a note on it, so she pulled it off and read it, sliding the door open to let some light enter. She saw that some parts were scribbled out, as if changes were made to it.

"We're going for a run, we should be back in a couple of hours.-Uzume and Renna." It looked like there were some "I's" that were scratched out. So… One of them was going to go for a run, and then the other woke up and decided to join them? The "couple of hours" was replaced by "before eight". Did that mean that they were going to do something else as well? Maybe go out to eat or something?

Neptune pouted at the thought of that. Food was nice!

She shook her head with a smile. She didn't actually mind if that would happen. And seeing as Uzume's name was first, it looked like Renna was the one who woke up. That did make sense, since Uzume did like to keep fit.

So Uzume woke up, wanted to go for a run, and somewhere along the line Renna woke up. Renna saw Uzume and wanted to join her. They then decided to do something else afterwards. Neptune brandished a wide smile that showed off her teeth, placing a hand to her chin in a flashy way. Detective Nep has solved the case.

She kept hold on the note and slid the door open some more. The sun was up and shining through the windows. Neptune looked back while walking away, seeing that Gil was still asleep. She walked through into the kitchen and prepared herself some cereal. Once she was done with that, she walked over to the kotatsu, sitting down by it while facing the bedroom. Neptune silently ate her cereal and looked around at nothing in particular.

She looked into the bedroom again. Gil was still asleep, huh? It'd be nice to talk to someone. She kept gazing at him and saw something that intrigued her. Neptune finished her breakfast and got up, silently moving to the room. She tilted her head at what she saw.

There were a few cyan strands of hair among the brown colour that his kinda curly hair usually showed. What could that be about? It probably had to do with all the way back then, when Gil and Renna had those things done to them. Neptune would probably ask about that later, when Gil was up.

But for now, she had an idea. She pulled out her Nep-note and flipped it open. "Crosty, you awake?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm up."

"Great! So… you mentioned something about wanting to talk to me?"

"Yeah, like, days ago. Geez."

Neptune rubbed her head. "Ah…haha… Sorry about that."

"But yeah, whatever, we can talk now if you got the time."

"I do! Just let me take us somewhere else."

"Fine."

Neptune closed the book and walked to the bathroom. She entered it and then locked the door behind her. She then opened the book back up. "Alright, all done!" Croire appeared in front of Neptune, leaning back on her book. "So watcha wanna talk about?", smiled Neptune.

Croire narrowed her eyes for a second, but then spoke. She got up from her leaning position and sat upright. "It's about those other two that you and Uzume have so kindly let join ya."

"Oh, that was kinda expected."

"Heh. Yeah."

"So… what about them?"

Croire took a more serious face. "I recognized them from many, many years back."

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Back when Tari was still a thing."

"Oh, so that's what this is about!"

Croire blinked in confusion for a few seconds, looking at Neptune with a puzzled face. "Watcha mean?"

"The thing is, we kinda sorta already know about what happened to them."

"So you know that they're…"

"…CPUs, yeah. Well, half-CPUs."

Croire looked down for a second. "Guess that saves me the trouble of explainin' that for ya." She took a more lax position. "How'd ya find out? They tell you?"

"No, not them. We found out from little me. Her and her friends all know about them. Even the CPUs of this world know about them."

"How'd you pull that off?"

"I… kinda went to visit little me on the day we met Renna and Gil. Spur of the moment thing."

"So it was completely random?"

"Yup!"

"Figures, seeing that it's you."

"Thanks!"

"That wasn't… whatever. So… you gotta plan or somethin'?"

"That I do! Uzume and I are gonna make them right!"

Croire didn't respond immediately, lifting an eyebrow to Neptune. "What do ya mean by that?"

"We're gonna convince them to join our side."

"You mean not wanna kill Rei?"

"Yeah."

"And just how're ya gonna do that?"

"We'll become friends with them, and…"

"Yeah, okay, and then convince them because you're all buddy-buddy with 'em?"

"Well… Yeah."

"That doesn't always work, Neptune."

"Well we're not going to hurt them if we don't have to.", said Neptune, who also took a more serious face.

"Easy, I don't doubt you. I'm just sayin' that you should be prepared."

Neptune eased up. "So you'll help us?"

"Yeah, I suppose where I can. Even if I ain't a huge fan of being all friendly and stuff."

"Thanks, Croire."

"Whatever. And just so ya know, I'm pretty sure they know who I am. They must've recognized me straight away."

"So they're just pretending to not know you…"

"Exactly."

"I'd like to hear more about how you know them."

"Maybe another time."

"Alright."

"So, we done?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well I got nothin' else to do, so I think I should stay out of sight from those two for a while. Just to be safe."

"Only Gil's here."

"Even then."

"Fine, fine. We'll get them to tell us everything at some point. Maybe then you could show yourself more."

"Yeah, sure.", waved Croire. "But yeah, see ya."

"Bye, Croire." Croire disappeared in a small flash of light. "That reminds me… I should probably be around when Gil gets up.", thought Neptune. She looked to the shower in the bathroom. "Maybe clean up a bit first." Neptune then worked away at cleaning herself. She didn't take too long.

She finished and got out, getting dressed back into her pajamas. She left the bathroom, sitting back down by the kotatsu, patiently waiting for Gil to wake up.

"Maybe I should wake him up?"

Neptune smiled at this thought and leaned her head on the kotatsu with her arms under her chin. She had a full view of the bedroom. "Should I just nudge him awake? Pull his blanket off? Maybe just sit there for a while?" Neptune internally debated for a few minutes. "Eh, I'll wait here for now."

Eventually, Gil opened his eyes. He stayed in his position for a while before sitting up and looking around. He must've noted that Renna, Uzume and Neptune weren't in their beds. He quickly shifted his vision towards Neptune, who was looking at him. She lifted her head from the table, waving at him with her left hand. "Yo!", greeted Neptune, heartily.

Gil blinked at Neptune before getting up. "Hey.", greeted Gil. He entered through into the lounge, sliding the door to the bedroom behind him. He looked around, and then at Neptune. "Where are…?"

Neptune pulled out a note from under the kotatsu, holding it out in her right hand. "Read this!" Gil walked towards Neptune, taking the note she offered. He read it through and gave the note back to Neptune. "So yeah, they're out for a couple-a hours.", explained Neptune.

"How long have you been awake for?"

"Not too long. Enough time to eat breakfast, get cleaned up and then wait for you, sleepyhead."

Gil looked at Neptune for a second before speaking. "Then why are you still in your pajamas?"

"Because… I can be? It's nice to stay in them sometimes!"

"Doesn't it feel dirty?"

"Eh, not really. Unless you're all hot and sweaty and stuff. And while I might be hot, it's got nothing to do with the heat." Neptune closed one eye while sticking her tongue out.

Gil shook his head and turned to face the kitchen. "…I'm going to make breakfast."

Neptune rested her head on the kotatsu again. "Boo…" She was facing the bedroom, but then rolled her head to look at Gil.

He stood there, quickly making his breakfast. She smiled at him even though he couldn't see, with her gaze shifted towards his hair. "He doesn't really notice it, does he?" Gil finished with his breakfast and walked over to the kotatsu. He sat opposite Neptune.

"What're you planning on doing today, Gilly?"

Gil, who had lifted his spoon, placed it on the kotatsu while thinking. "I'm not sure. I have nothing particular in mind, so I'll most likely end up waiting here for Renna and Uzume."

Neptune sat up. "So you're free for the day?"

"I suppose so, yes."

"Goody!"

Gil raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I dunno. So we can spend some time together, maybe?"

"What did you have in mind?"

"Well, we don't HAVE to go out anywhere. We could stay here, chat and play games or whatever."

"I could do that."

"I'd be worried if you couldn't."

"What else?"

"I mean, if you want, we could go out?"

"You mean to a place to eat?"

"Maaaaybeeee… But it doesn't only have to be that. We could look around for some nice places to go or something."

"We… could. But if we did, we shouldn't be too long."

"Yeah, wouldn't want the other two to be worried or anything."

"I'm glad they left that note though."

"Yeah, super useful and stuff. I thought about sticking it to your face while you were asleep."

Gil widened his eyes. "Why?"

"Would've been funny to see. And you would've seen the note immediately."

"If I didn't wake up from you putting it on me."

"Oh, you wouldn't have woken up. I'm sure of that!"

"Why?"

"Why, you ask? Because my hands are supple and smooth. I could've become a professional massage-person-thingy if I wanted to." Gil didn't have a response for this. "But maybe you should get going with the food eating."

"Yeah, right." Gil then started eating his food.

Neptune sat there, looking around while rocking backwards and forwards. Her eyes would sometimes dart to Gil's hair for a few seconds. This did not go unnoticed. "What?", asked Gil, after he'd finished.

"Oh, nothing, nothing…"

"You sure?"

"No."

"O…kay."

Neptune stopped rocking, and leaned forward over the kotatsu. "It's your hair. There looks to be a few pieces of your hair that look like your sister's."

Gil looked at Neptune and reached up into his hair, pulling a few strands down. Surely enough, a few of them were cyan. He let go, taking an annoyed expression. "Great." He sounded disappointed.

"What's wrong?"

"Renna's not here to cut them."

Neptune raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Whatcha mean? Not a fan of your cyan hair?"

Gil waited before responding. "…No."

"And whyyyyy is that?"

"I… don't feel like it suits me."

"What do ya meeeean?! I think it looks great on you." Gil looked down at the kotatsu for a moment. "It's very unique. In a very good way.", smiled Neptune.

"It makes me stand out."

"And you think your sister's hair doesn't stand out?"

"…It suits her."

"And this suits you! It even compliments your sister's hair."

"…I know."

"So then why?!", exclaimed Neptune, looking at Gil with a determined face. She leaned further over the kotatsu with most of her body on the table of it, and was looking up at Gil.

Gil lifted his head up with surprise. Why was Neptune so adamant about this? He relaxed his face, and Neptune drew herself back. "It's just… how I feel about it."

"Well I think it looks good.", said Neptune, still holding her determined face.

"…Thanks." Neptune then smiled at Gil, closing her eyes for a brief moment. "You are…", started Gil.

"…very weird?", finished Neptune, with a smirk.

Gil huffed in amusement, looking at Neptune with a slight smile. "Yeah."

Neptune struck a pose. "Thanks!"

This girl…

Neptune was… different. But she was nice to be around.

Neptune stood up. "But uhhh, yeah! I'm gonna go get dressed!"

"I'll go get cleaned up."

"And here I was going to tell you to not peek at me."

"As if I would."

"Yeah, you're not like that."

"And yet you still say it."

"It's fun to tease you."

"I wouldn't know."

"Well, yeah, you're not me!", smiled Neptune, who sauntered off towards the bedroom. Gil took his leave, entering the bathroom. Neptune entered the bedroom, sliding the door behind her. She looked at nothing in particular, with a smug smile and narrow eyes to boot.

"Heh."

* * *

**Lowee City, near Dusty's Store:**

"Just… up there…", said Renna, in between breaths. She pointed to a building in front of them.

Uzume nodded, and the two of them kept running. There was not much distance left to cover, so they were quickly next to the building. "Well… that was nice…", said Uzume, who was breathing fast, but still had a smile.

"Yeah… it was good… to do that."

"We should… get cleaned up… before we… go inside?"

Renna thought of what to do, and came up with a solution. "I'm sure that… we can go… inside."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'll talk… to Dusty."

"Dusty?"

"This is… his forge."

"Oh."

"Be prepared."

"Watcha mean?"

"You'll see.", said Renna, who smiled at Uzume before walking up towards the doors. She slid the door open, and her and Uzume took their shoes off before carrying them inside. Luckily, there was only one person at the till talking to Dusty, and they actually just finished.

"Dusty!", called out Renna, who quickly moved to the till. Uzume followed her, looking over the till.

Dusty sat on his chair, looking at Renna with mild surprise. "Hey, Renna. Didn't expect to see you so early."

"Yup! It's all thanks to my friend over here!", said Renna, who held her hands out to Uzume.

Dusty raised an eyebrow. "And you are?"

"The name's Uzume." She smiled confidently with her hands at her hips. Dusty saw this pose, and huffed in amusement. "She's super amazing!", said Renna.

"I'm sure she is." Dusty had his right arm on the counter.

"But, um, can we maybe… uh, use a shower? If there's one here?", asked Renna, her eyebrows angling upwards. Dusty looked confused at this. He looked between Renna and Uzume. "We went for a pretty long run, so we're kinda… sweaty."

"So that's why you're both wearing those clothes." Dusty saw how they both held their shoes in their hands. "At least you're respectful. Fine, sure. I'll show you where they are."

"Yay! Thanks, Dusty."

Dusty got up from his chair, standing upright. Uzume's eyes followed him as he greatly increased in height. She then understood what Renna had meant when she said "Be prepared." "Woah…"

"Told you."

Dusty walked through a door behind the counter. "Come, follow me."

Renna and Uzume looked at each other, and then made to follow him. They entered into the room and saw a short hallway that shot out to the left, right and forward. Dusty was in the left one. Renna and Uzume stopped behind him.

"At the end of this hallway there's a door on your left. Take it. There's the showers."

"And you're sure nobody else is going to come in?", asked Renna.

"Yes, I am. Here, I'll even give you the keys." Dusty reached into his pockets and pulled out a keychain with a few keys on it.

Renna took the keys and nodded. "Thanks a bunch!" She grabbed a hold of Uzume's hand and started walking off. "Come on, Uzume!"

"Yeah, yeah… Thanks.", said Uzume to Dusty. Renna and Uzume then moved down the hallway. Dusty shook his head and reentered the main part of the store.

"See! I told you we'd be fine!", said Renna.

"Yeah… You seem pretty casual with Dusty."

"Yup! I figured since I'd be visiting his store and talking to him a lot, it'd be good to get to know him! And it's been nice."

"He seems pretty gruff."

"Yeah, well, he deals with plenty of people every day. Some of which aren't that nice to deal with."

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Yeah. Oh, right, this is where I first saw that gangster guy."

"Oooooh, yeah. He's definitely one of the people who aren't so great to deal with."

"Definitely. He's caused issues with Dusty before."

"What was his name again?"

"Ummm… Faust?"

"Yeah, that."

They found the door they were looking for and both entered through it. They found a room that looked like a large bathroom. The floors were tiled with a peachy-brown colour, and this extended up the walls to about halfway. From there, a clean, black wall worked its way up and to the roof. There were a few showers that were present next to each other with tiled walls separating each of them. The showers were situated on the right of the room from where Renna and Uzume were facing, with the left side having a few benches to sit on and get dressed.

Renna and Uzume entered the room, and Uzume summoned her bag with everything in it. She placed it on a bench. Renna had locked the door behind them.

"It was nice of him to give us the keys.", said Uzume.

"Yup!"

They both got ready to shower. After a few moments of preparation, the two of them were in separate showers that were next to each other.

"I'm so glad we got to get cleaned up. I woulda hated to walk around everywhere while feeling like this.", said Uzume. There was a slight echo when they spoke.

"Uh-huh! You even brought soap, towels and things to scrub down with!"

"Gotta be prepared."

"Yup."

They both continued to shower and were done in a few minutes. They both got out and took their clothes from Uzume's bag. They dried themselves off, got dressed, and checked their hair to make sure it was good.

"All sorted?", asked Uzume.

"Yup! Remember, no shoes."

"I know, I know."

They both then entered back into the main part of the store and found Dusty sitting at his chair. "You're done. Good."

"Yup!", said Renna.

"Thanks again.", said Uzume.

"Don't mention it." Dusty moved his head to indicate for Renna and Uzume to move to the front of the counter, which they did. "So what can I do for you?"

"Other than talk, there's only one thing!", said Renna, with hope in her eyes.

"Uh-huh. I haven't even seen it yet.", said Uzume.

"It's a beauty, that's for sure. But it still needs a few touch ups.", admitted Dusty.

"So… it's not done yet?", asked Renna.

"Not yet. But almost. I need to make sure that it's as good as can be."

"I think it's still been pretty quick.", admitted Uzume.

"Exactly. Things like this take time, even if you has as much experience as myself."

"That is true. I don't mean to sound disappointed or upset, Dusty. You've been a great help!", said Renna.

Dusty nodded to Renna, then shifted his gaze to Uzume. "You. Uzume."

"Y-Yes?" She was slightly nervous.

"You said you haven't seen the piece yet?"

"T-That's right."

Dusty stared at her and then smirked. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. He pressed a few buttons on it, navigated a few menus, and eventually, a hologram appeared. "There you go. That's what it'll look like when it's done."

Uzume looked at the gauntlet with amazement. It looked to be similar in design to Renna's boots, as well as their other weapons. The gauntlet was made out of the same grey metal that Renna's boots were made of. The gauntlet itself covered his arm, from his hands to his elbows. There were two straight cyan lines that ran across the top and underside of it. It had the same, clean shape of inlays as Renna's boots. An arrowhead type shape formed by the elbow, with a cyan line lining the edge of the arrowhead.

The tips of the fingers were sharp, like a CPU's gloves. Each knuckle, when the hand was scrunched into a fist, had different segments of metal to allow the fingers to bend freely and flexibly. Under each knuckle's segment was a cyan colour that could be seen when the hand was in a fist. Each finger, along with the palm of the hand, was grey in colour, save for the base of each finger. A cyan dot was present at each one.

There were a few cyan dots that lined the two lines reaching up the arm on either side. Both under the arm and above the arm. The shape of it was… satisfying. It was not flimsy looking, as it was not thin. It looked to be very sturdy. Along the arm, sometimes there would be small lines, no different in colour from the rest of the grey metal, that were slightly lower than the rest of the metal. As if it was a straight path with an ever so slight dip in it that quickly elevated back to the normal level.

These inlays were also shaped like arrowheads that reached towards the wrist and also went up the fingers. They were spread apart so that it was visually pleasing. These inlays were the same ones that were on Renna and Gil's other weapons.

"It looks so cool.", said Uzume, after a while. "I take it they'll both look like this?"

"Yes, they will. They'll both be perfect.", said Dusty.

Uzume nodded in approval. She really did think they looked cool.

"Thanks for doing this so quick, Dusty.", said Renna.

"It's only natural to give my all to something like this. Forging such high quality gear is always a treat."

"What's it like? To see all these adventurers come in and out, looking for you to make this stuff for them, and for many different reasons?", asked Uzume.

"It's… it can be entertaining at times. Sometimes. It's usually the same old, same old stuff. They want to become the greatest adventurer or something along those lines. But when there is something unique, or something that catches my eye…", said Dusty, looking to Renna, who gave him a toothy smile. "…Then it does bring some good."

Uzume nodded at this explanation.

"Is that all?", asked Dusty, placing an arm on the counter.

"That… should be it, yeah!", said Renna, who looked to Uzume.

"Don't look at me, this was your idea."

Renna got up to leave. "Right, right. Okay then. We'll be heading off now, Dusty!"

"Before you go, I have something I'd like to ask.", said Dusty.

Renna looked at him with a quizzical face.

"Have… You haven't been bothered by… those guys, have you?"

Renna waited a moment before answering. She and Uzume knew what he was talking about. "No, nothing like that. Last time I saw them was when I walked out of here.", explained Renna.

"So he confronted you as you left, on that day you saw him?"

"Yup."

"What did he do?"

"He tried to talk to me some more. He wanted me to go back with him. He's… not nice."

"He wanted you to go back with him?"

"Yes. He still wanted my weapons, but he also said that I look rather… unique."

"That kid…"

"I didn't say anything to make him angry, though. I didn't insult him or anything like that. I simply told him that my weapons aren't for sale and that I didn't want to get involved with him."

"Okay, that's good. That's very good. You handled it the right way."

"Thank you."

"Anything else?"

Renna looked to Uzume before answering. "He tried to grab me when I walked past him."

Dusty widened his eyes at this. "He what?" His voice became a more aggressive.

"I said that I didn't want to be involved with him at all. He tried to grab me when I walked past, but I dodged him."

"Geez, Rensy, at least you handled yourself well…"

"That might be true, but it's definitely not good.", said Dusty. Renna sighed. "It's not a good sign. Definitely not." Dusty was in deep thought. There was a brief silence that fell over the three of them. Dusty looked towards Renna. "Tell you what…"

Dusty pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling something on it. "Take this."Dusty held the small piece of paper out.

Renna took it, and both her and Uzume looked at it. "Are these… contact details?", asked Uzume.

"Yes. They're mine."

Renna looked up at him and was going to speak, but Dusty beat her to it. "If you ever feel like you're in danger or anything like that, contact me. My address is also there, so you can come over and stay at my place. In fact, I think that that's probably the safest thing for you to do right now."

Renna brandished an awkward smile. "It's… that bad, huh?"

"It's very bad, Renna. Very, very bad.", said Dusty, his voice stinging of seriousness.

"Great.", said Uzume.

"I would seriously suggest staying at my place. That kid and his gang have probably been keeping tabs on you, so they most likely already know where you're staying."

Renna looked at the piece of paper. "I'll get back to you. I'll need to talk with my group."

"How many of you are there?"

"Well, it's me, Uzume here, you've seen Neptune, and my brother. So there're four of us."

"That's enough. I have space for that."

"Cool! I still need to talk to them, though."

"Alright. But please, in the meantime, be careful. I mean it."

"We will, Dusty, thanks for the heads up."

Dusty nodded his head a few times. "Now get going. It looks like it's gonna rain soon."

"Oh, alright then.", said Renna, who smiled at Dusty. "Later, Dusty! Thanks, and bye-bye!"

"See ya, Dusty.", waved Uzume.

"Goodbye. And be careful." Dusty's eyes followed Renna and Uzume.

Renna slid the door open and turned around while Uzume walked past her. She gave a wave to Dusty, and slid the door shut. Dusty closed his eyes while taking a small smile.

Uzume looked up at the cloudy sky. "It really does look like it's gonna rain."

"Uh-huh."

"Seems like a decent guy."

"He does."

"He was being really serious back there, huh?"

"Yup. That's what he's like. But he cares."

"Seems like it."

"I probably will talk to the others…"

"If the situation's as bad as he says, maybe we should really consider it."

They turned into an alleyway while walking through the city. They were heading back to the hotel.

"So what did you think of the gauntlet?", asked Renna.

They turned onto a road, walking through the streets. There were fewer stalls around than there was closer to the hotel, but there were more people walking about.

"I think it looked pretty freakin' cool."

"I know, right!"

"Yeah. That Dusty must be really talented."

"He is! He's been working there for years."

"It shows. He's… strong looking.", said Uzume, who remembered Dusty's frame.

They continued walking through the streets and went down another alleyway. It wasn't too wide. Renna and Uzume walked through it and saw two people that were leaning against the walls. They looked over to Renna and Uzume and got up from their leaning position. They started walking towards Renna and Uzume and then stopped, blocking the way.

"What's… going on?", asked Uzume. She looked behind herself and noticed that three people had blocked the path behind them. "They're behind us, too, Rensy."

"Took you long enough.", came a voice that Renna recognized.

Renna heard this and she immediately knew what was happening.

"It's them, isn't it?", whispered Uzume.

"Yup."

In front of them, a man walked past the two people that had been blocking the way. His hair was blonde with black highlights. He had a single black stud in his right ear. His eyes were light green.

He wore long, black chinos that were accompanied by a silver belt. He wore some pretty expensive looking sneakers that were silver with black linings. He wore a dark green long sleeve shirt that extended up his neck, with the parts by his wrists folded backwards. Over that, he had a black jacket that fell to just beyond his hips, and barely showed the green shirt by his wrists. It looked to be a zip up, although it was open at the moment. The jacket itself was plain looking, besides there being a few pockets for his hands and one by his chest. These also had zippers, and they were all unzipped.

He had his golden necklace out for everyone to see, along with his signature smile. It was Faust. "How's it going, Renna?"

Renna and Uzume both looked around them, and saw no way out

"And I see you brought a friend with you, this time. Uzume, was it?"

"That him?", asked Uzume.

"Yup." Renna then looked to Faust. "So you've done some digging into who we are?"

"It's not that hard for me to do. Getting your names is easy. Although… there's not that much info on you all…" Faust dropped his smile and then spoke. "Why is that?"

Uzume smirked. "Guess your little gang's not as resourceful as you thought, huh?"

"Ahh, so you're the fiery type, huh?", said Faust, returning to his smile. Renna and Uzume didn't reply. "But really, why are you all so… new? There's nothing on any of you. That is definitely something that hasn't happened before."

"What do you want, Faust?", spoke Renna.

"Want? Many things. I want your weapons. Those weapons of yours are really nice, you know? And I want you to come back with me. And your friend, too, if she doesn't mind."

"Like hell I'd do that.", said Uzume.

"Heh, definitely the fiery type."

"You've got us surrounded in an alleyway, Faust. So what do you want?", asked Renna.

"I already said what I want. And I'd prefer for us to do this without any unnecessary actions."

"You finding out about us and taking the time to surround us like this seems unnecessary enough."

"I told you, I get what I want."

"Not this time."

Faust huffed at this and started walking towards Renna and Uzume. He spoke as he walked, with his group getting closer as he did. "You know, there are many ways to get what I want." Renna and Uzume got closer together. "I know of a few offhand. Sometimes, it's useful to know. Like, let's say, for examples… the use of chemicals? There are many chemicals that affect the body in many, many ways. Some of them hurt the body. Some of them paralyze the body, leaving the victim awake. Some of them put people to sleep. Others weaken the body, rendering them unable to fight back. There are other ways, of course, such as using weapons, bribery, intimidation, all that stuff. But chemicals are quite effective."

Faust stopped in front of Renna. "Let's not resort to using any of those, hey?" Renna stood her ground, not speaking. Uzume did the same. "What do you say?"

He reached out as if he was going to put a hand on Renna's left shoulder, but Renna moved her shoulder out of the way. Faust narrowed his eyes while smiling at her. "Suit yourself." He quickly reached out for Renna with his right hand, looking to grab Renna's shoulder while he reached into his pocket.

But before he could do anything…

"Hey!", shouted Uzume. She grabbed his right arm and stood in front of him, pushing his arm away. She then sent her right fist into Faust's face, making him stumble to a wall. One of Faust's men advanced on Renna and Uzume from behind, but Uzume turned to face him and gave him an uppercut, causing him to fall to the ground a small distance away. Uzume then took a stance, summoning her megaphone.

"Uzume!", shouted Renna.

"What's she doing with a megaphone?", said one of Faust's men.

"Wanna find out?! Huh?!", shot out Uzume.

Uzume pointed her megaphone at them all, and noticed that Faust had a hand to where she had punched him.

"Let's go, Uzume!", said Renna, grabbing Uzume by the hand and making a run for it. They both looked at Faust as they passed him. He made a small smile to them. Renna and Uzume rushed past the two people in front of them as they let them pass through. "Come on!", said Renna, who looked behind her to see that they weren't following them.

Faust stood up from the wall, looking at Renna and Uzume as they ran through the alleyway, eventually reaching the end of it and turning right. They were out of sight.

"You sure we should just let them go?", asked one of Faust's group.

"Oh, I'm sure.", smiled Faust. "I have other ways to get what I want."

* * *

**Back at the hotel:**

Neptune was sitting in front of the TV watching the news. She had her arms behind her, leaning back on them with her legs in front of her. "There's nothing on to watch…" She looked out to the kitchen and saw that it was raining.

Gil was sitting at the kotatsu, reading through different game manuals. He was facing the kitchen. "Maybe shows come on later? When people are home from work?"

"Maybe. But there's gotta be some stuff! What if I bunk school because I'm sick?!" She leaned her head back to look at Gil.

Gil narrowed his eyes at Neptune and then shook his head. Neptune shifted her body, never taking her eyes off of Gil, and crawled towards him. Gil observed this, looking at Neptune as she got under the kotatsu. "The news says that it's gonna rain for the next few days.", informed Neptune, with a satisfied smile.

"Oh really? That's good to know. I hope they don't get caught in it."

"Eh, they'll be fine! Even if they do, they'll tough it out."

"You're probably right."

Neptune lifted a part of the kotatsu so that it covered her shoulders. She sat without speaking, thinking for a while. "Hey, Gilly?"

Gil looked up from the manual, placing it down on the kotatsu while looking at Neptune. "Yes?"

"Want me to cut your hair?" Gil looked at Neptune with confusion. "Gilly?" Neptune moved from side to side.

"I thought you were against the idea of me cutting my hair."

"Well, yeah, I am, but I figured that I could give it a try, since I've never done it before."

"You've never… cut anyone's hair before?"

"Yeah."

"And you want to start with me?"

"I dunno, I wanna give it a shot." Gil didn't answer. "Come oooooon? Don't you trust little old meeee?"

"I... It's not that…"

Neptune scooched over on the kotatsu, maneuvering to the corner and leaning over the kotatsu so that she got closer to Gil. "Please, Gilly?"

"I… don't know, Neptune."

"Why?"

"Renna usually does it for me. She always has, and she enjoys doing it."

"Who says I won't enjoy it?"

"That's not the issue."

"I know, but come on! Even if I don't cut all of the cyan off. Just a few strands?"

Gil thought about this for a while, with Neptune patiently waiting. "I still don't know."

"Why? We have some scissors that I could use."

"It's not that. I'm used to Renna doing it."

"Okay…?"

"I'm… not used to other people cutting my hair. It would feel… off."

"Oh, you mean like how it's weird to have people you're not comfortable with touching you?"

"Yes."

"But aren't you comfortable around me?"

Gil looked at her and thought some more. "I… am. But not like that."

"Then how will I ever be able to do things like cut your hair, or something else that requires me to be that close?"

Gil gave a half-lidded look towards Neptune, who shrugged her shoulders with a cheeky smile. "But like, really. Can I really not?", asked Neptune.

Gil waited for a few seconds, thinking some more. Should he, or should he not? Renna would be home soon, maybe. Or in a few hours. But Neptune was here making an attempt to cut his hair. She was trying very hard, too. She was a very persistent girl. Why? She was very friendly, and she knew how to lighten the mood.

Gil stared at the TV while he thought and saw Neptune move her head into the center of his vision while smiling. "You okay there, Gilly?" She was very casual with him. She did say that she would find a way to get closer to him and Renna.

"…Yes. You can do a bit.", said Gil.

"You mean it?"

"…Yes."

"Hooray! Neptastic stuff!"

"You're so full of energy…"

"When I want to be." Gil gave a small huff. "Then, uhhhhhh… Is right here fine?", asked Neptune.

"Here?"

"Yeah. Like, you can sit on the table and I can cut your hair. Come, come, I'll show you.", said Neptune, standing up.

And so, Neptune directed Gil on where to sit. He faced the TV, with the door leading out of the hotel room on his right and the kitchen on his left. He sat on the kotatsu table, and Neptune was standing in front of him, hands at her hips. Gil looked up at Neptune with slight apprehension. She had a determined face on and looked off at the door to the bedroom.

"Neptune?"

"Yes, oh Gilly?", replied Neptune, darting her head to look at Gil.

"Where are the scissors?"

"That… is a good question! I'll be back in a jiffy!" Neptune ran off to the bathroom. She spent a minute or two in there, and came out with a pair of scissors. "Don't run with knives and stuff like that!" She then stood in front of Gil in the same pose, except now she had the scissors in her right hand. "Now then, let us commence the experiment!"

Gil looked at Neptune with narrowed eyes. "Whaaaaat? You'll be fine, you'll be fine…", said Neptune, as she walked closer to Gil.

Gil raised his eyes as she stood right in front of him. Neptune crossed her arms dramatically. "And just so you know, no takesy backsies! Or else I'll harass you in your sleep!"

Gil looked at Neptune with suspicion, who smiled at him and then leaned over so that her head was in line with Gil's. She stared at Gil's face, which made him slightly uncomfortable. "What are-"

"Ah! No, no! No talking! I have to see where to cut and stuff.", said Neptune. She moved around Gil, taking note of his hair. She moved to the left and right of his face, and Gil could see her observing him. It was like when a cat found something new and investigated it by moving around it and looking at it. She then moved behind Gil, and was out of sight. Gil could hear her climb on top of the kotatsu, though.

"Mmhmm… Mhmm…"

Gil sat there in silence.

"I see… Okay…"

Gil could hear her shuffling some more, and then silence. It was like that for a while. What was she doing? "Neptune?" Gil then felt sudden pokes at the back and side of his neck. This caused him to jerk his head up quickly, looking up at an angle.

"Woah!", came Neptune, who seemingly fell over. Gil turned to look behind him, and saw that Neptune had fallen over and off of the kotatsu. She landed fine and was sitting with her arms behind her and her legs out in front of her. She looked around at herself, noting that everything was alright "Ehe…hehehe…", giggled Neptune, rubbing the back of her head.

"Why… did you do that?", asked Gil, who looked alert.

"Because I thought it would be funny…" Gil looked at Neptune with a confused expression, and wasn't really sure what to say. Neptune got up and stood in front of Gil. "I never expected you to react like that."

Gil looked away. "I… told you I wasn't used to it…"

"I know. It's not your fault, don't worry." Gil faced her, quickly looking to her face and away from it. "But geez… talk about quick reactions…" Gil sighed. "I'm kidding. But anyway, I've seen what I needed to see, so we should be all set!", said Neptune, giving a thumbs up.

Gil looked at Neptune and nodded. "So, um, how does Renna usually do it?", asked Neptune.

"She… usually has me bend my head forward so that the strands fall off while she cuts. She then makes me bend my head backwards, so that the strands at the back of my head fall off while she cuts."

"Really? She doesn't have any sort of cover that she puts around you so that the hair doesn't fall onto your clothes?"

"No. When that does happen, we just brush them off."

"Doesn't that get annoying?"

"That's why I bend my head, so that as little hair as possible falls onto my clothes."

"Why don't you just do it without a shirt on?" Gil looked at Neptune with wide eyes. "Like, that'd make it easier. We can try it now!" Neptune started reaching for Gil.

"…No, I think I'm fine. I'm perfectly fine." Gil held his hands out to Neptune to stop her advance.

"You're no fun."

"You're a tease."

"Exactly!" Neptune then raised her hands, rapidly snipping the scissors. "So then, let's go! Lean your head forward."

Gil leaned forward, eyeing Neptune as he did. "Don't worry, Gilly. I'll be gentle…" There was a brief silence, and Gil could hear Neptune moving towards him. He tried to relax…

He felt a hand being placed against the back of his head, and it stopped himself from raising his head. It rested there for a moment. "Seeeee? It ain't that bad, Gilly." Neptune then started to rub his hair. Gil continued to try to relax himself. He then felt a small piece of his hair being pulled up, along with a snip. He saw a few strands of hair fall to the floor. They were cyan.

"Did I do it right?"

"…Yes."

"Goody!"

She then worked away at his hair, cutting off more strands of it. A few times, some brown strands fell, but Neptune wasn't an expert, so it was expected. In a few minutes time, Neptune stepped away and looked at Gil. "Alright, I think I've done a pretty good job for a first time!"

"You didn't cut them all off?"

"Of course not! Now roll your head back." Gil did just that and looked up at the ceiling. Neptune maneuvered around him, getting behind him. "And, start!" Gil could hear the scissors snipping away at his hair. It seemed like Neptune was good at this.

"Oops…"

"What?"

"Gotcha! You thought I did something bad!" Gil sighed and continued to look upwards. In a few minutes time, Neptune once again moved away, admiring her work. "Done! Mostly."

"And?"

"I think it looks great! Although, one more thing…"

Neptune climbed back onto the kotatsu. Her face suddenly came into Gil's vision as he looked at the ceiling. She had a wide, smug smile.

"Hehe.", giggled Neptune.

Gil simply gave her a half-lidded look. She then moved backwards, climbing off the kotatsu…

When Gil suddenly felt two hands on his shoulders. He was so surprised that he almost fell over onto his back.

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold your horses!"

"Neptune…"

"Whaaaaat?!"

"You… are… weird…"

Neptune raised an eyebrow. "Annoying?"

"Sometimes."

"But you don't mind, right?"

"…Sometimes."

"Then it's working!" Neptune who proceeded to press into Gil's shoulders.

"What're you doing now?"

"I was being serious when I said that I could've become a massage-person-thingy if I wanted to! I'm good with my hands!" Gil started to raise himself up, but Neptune kept him in his leaning position. "Uh-uh-uh! No takesy-backsies!"

"This wasn't part of the deal…"

"It is now!"

"Great." Gil submitted himself to his fate.

Neptune started to massage Gil's shoulders. She dug into his back, the top of his shoulders, and even his neck. "You're so stiff, Gilly." Gil didn't really have a response. "Maybe you should relax more. It's no good if you're not taking some time out to do that every now and then."

"I had to always be alert before."

"Why?"

"I had to look out for Renna and I. We both had to look out for each other."

"Why? What happened?" Gil didn't reply. "Don't be afraid to tell me anything, Gilly. You can tell me anything! You, and your sister!"

Uzume had said something similar. Gil still didn't reply. Neptune watched Gil with soft eyes, waiting. She nodded to herself in understanding. They stayed like that for a few moments. They could hear commotion from outside, near the door. The door slid open, revealing Renna and Uzume.

"Hey, we're… home?", greeted Uzume, slightly confused.

"Hello…", greeted Renna, who stopped herself in confusion.

"Oh, hey guys!", greeted Neptune.

She pulled her arms to herself, and Gil got up from his position, looking at Renna and Uzume.

"…Hello.", greeted Gil.

Renna had been smiling at the scene, but it soon faded into a straight lipped expression. During the few seconds that it had taken for Neptune to crawl off the kotatsu, Renna had stared at Neptune with wide eyes and a thin, blank and emotionless face. She quickly returned to her usual demeanor, with her and Uzume walking through into the room. Everyone gathered around the kotatsu.

"So, uh, what was that about?", started Uzume, who had an eyebrow raised and a slight smile.

Renna looked to the floor. "And I notice that there're a few pieces of your hair here, Gil."

"I decided that I should maybe give a shot at cutting his hair.", said Neptune. "I saw that he had some cyan strands in his hair, and he said that you usually cut them, but you weren't around. So I offered my help!"

Renna continued to look at the floor. "That's right, I usually do cut his hair."

"Don't worry, I left some pieces for you to cut. Gil said that he's more comfortable with you doing it, so yeah."

Renna looked up to Neptune and smiled. "I'm surprised you let it happen, Gil."

"I wouldn't say that I "Let it happen.""

"What do you mean?"

"I threatened to annoy him while he slept!", exclaimed Neptune.

Uzume facepalmed. "Figures you'd do something like that. And what was happening at the end there?"

"Surprise massage attack!", said Neptune. Renna and Uzume raised an eyebrow at this. "I was cutting the back of his hair, you know, with his head looking up, and I decided to massage his shoulders."

"Why?", asked Renna.

"Dunno. Felt like he could need it. His shoulders are really stiff."

Renna looked at Gil, then back at Neptune. "Okay then."

"What did you two do?", asked Gil.

"We went for a run, like it said on the note.", said Uzume. "You… did read it, right?"

Neptune gave a thumbs up. "Yup! What next?"

"We went to check up on how the project's going.", said Uzume, who looked at Gil for a second.

"Aaaaaand?"

"Should be done by tomorrow. We can all go out to get it.", said Renna.

"Coolio!"

"It's going to rain for the next few days. That's what the weather report said.", informed Gil.

Uzume looked down at her damp clothes. "Yeah, we had to run through it for a bit. Luckily, it wasn't so heavy."

"Not yet, at least.", added Renna.

"Oh, right. We should probably tell them what happened on the way back."

Gil looked alert. "What? What happened?"

"Yeah, what's happened?", asked Neptune.

"We… sort of… encountered that gang guy again. In an alleyway on the way here.", explained Renna.

Gil's faced looked angry. "What?"

"We were walking home when that guy, Faust, and a couple of his gang surrounded us. We got away."

"He didn't do anything to you? To either of you?"

Renna smiled at Uzume. "No. He tried, but Uzume got them good."

"Heh… Don't mention it."

"What did you do?", asked Neptune.

"I, uh, when that guy reached out for Renna, I sort of… grabbed his arm and punched him in the face."

"Wow! That must've been amazing to see."

Uzume scratched the back of her head. "Eh, it was nothing', really."

"And then, and then…?"

"This other guy tried to grab us from behind, but I gave him a swift uppercut that sorted him out!", exclaimed Uzume, reenacting the punch.

"Cool!"

Gil looked relieved. "I'm very glad that you two got out of there unharmed."

"And something else…", started Renna. "The guy who's in charge of the project is pretty… knowledgeable of the gang, and what they do."

"He's not part of them?"

"Nah, he doesn't like them at all. He's had bad experiences with them before. But anyway, he offered us a place to stay if we need it. He says that we should take his offer, because he thinks that we're in danger."

Gil narrowed his eyes. "I don't know this man."

"You'll meet him tomorrow! Trust me, he's cool. But yeah, he's not wrong, because that Faust guy knew what Uzume and I's names were without us telling him, so he probably knows more as well."

"How much more?"

"Not much."

Neptune shrugged. "That's good, at least."

"I got his contact details, as well as the address to where he lives, so we can go there whenever we need to.", spoke Renna.

"This is… not good.", said Gil.

"We'll be alright, though. I'm sure of that.", said Uzume.

Neptune waved it off. "Yeah! We'll be fiiiiiine!"

"But anyway, I'm hungry, so I'm gonna go make some food.", said Uzume, walking to the kitchen.

Neptune perked up. "Ooh, ooh, me too, please!"

"And me.", added Renna.

"And me.", added Gil.

"So everyone.", mumbled Uzume.

Renna moved closer to Gil. "I'm gonna go do something in the room." She nudged Gil, wanting him to follow her. He nodded at her, and the two of them walked towards the bedroom.

"Have fun!", waved Neptune, who took to sitting at the kotatsu. She picked up the game manual that Gil had been reading and started perusing it.

Renna entered first, and let Gil walk in before sliding the door shut. She turned to face Gil. "So…" She had the pair of scissors in her left hand, holding them out next to her face. "How was it?", asked Renna.

"It was… weird. I'm not used to anybody but you cutting my hair, or touching around my head or neck."

"Or just being that close to you in general."

"Yes."

"Did you move around a lot when she did it?"

"A few times. Like when she surprised me."

"I bet it was out of nowhere, knowing Neptune."

"Yes. She is…"

"Unique."

"Yes."

Renna put her hands behind her before smiling. "So… want me to finish your hair off?"

Gil gave a small smile to Renna. "Sure." He sat on the floor of the bedroom.

Renna got behind him and lowered down onto her knees. "Want me to massage you afterwards?"

"That's… Up to you."

"Then a massage it is! No surprised this time."

Renna started snipping away at his hair, letting the cyan hair fall to the ground. Gil closed his eyes, letting his sister do what she needed to do. Renna smiled to herself while doing so, and hummed to herself while she worked away.

They both enjoyed this.

* * *

**And that's that.**

**I hope that came out alright. ****Like with them interacting with each other and stuff. I really want to do that well. ****So yeah! Stuffs gonna happen next chapter! As it does. ****Yeah.**

**Let me know what you thought, this time around. Constructive criticism is always welcomed, as it helps me to see my errors and improve myself. That's always important. ****Or just let me know what you thought of this! It's very good to hear that, as well!**

**So yeah. I do thank you for reading this chapter, and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it! And I hope that'll carry on!**

**Anyway…**

**Goodbye for now!**


	23. The Gauntlet(s)

**Hello again! Took quicker than last time, huh? But still not quick enough as I'd like.**

**I hope this one is enjoyable, and all that good stuff! **

**Things pick up, don't you worry about that!**

**You'll see closer to the end…**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 22:**

It was raining. Gil stood in the kitchen while looking out of the window. He was the only one awake. The sky was covered with clouds and no sun penetrated through. Gil could hear the rain hit the roof, and he could see drops hitting the windows. It was coming down rather fast, but Gil wouldn't say that it was dangerous. Maybe if you were reckless, but you should be able to walk in it without too much trouble. Besides getting soaking wet, of course.

Gil thought that Renna would like to run around in it. She always loved nature and its phenomena. He took a sip from his coffee that he had made minutes before. It had started raining yesterday, when Renna and Uzume had gone out to check on their secret project. It had persisted throughout the day and night at varying intensities. Just like Neptune had said. This would go on for days, presumably.

But, backtracking to Renna and Uzume… and Neptune. They all knew what this project was, as Gil was the only one left in the dark. It was going to be for Gil, they had said. He just didn't know what. Renna said that it would be done today. And that they would go out to get it today. Would that still be possible in this rain? Gil didn't doubt it. They were all enthusiastic about it, so they would probably insist. So it was most definitely happening.

Gil took another sip of his coffee. He thought back to the day before, and how Renna and Uzume had encountered those gang members again. The gang was bothering Renna and Uzume. That was a problem. And Renna had mentioned that they had done research into all four of them. That was a problem. They couldn't afford that. But Renna said that the gang didn't know much. That did make Gil feel better.

Uzume had hurt the leader of the group. What was his name… Faust? Hopefully he now knew to not interfere with them. Hopefully. Or… It could cause him to interfere more than what he already has. Hopefully not.

Renna mentioned that the person in charge of the project offered them all a place to stay. Gil hadn't met this man, but Renna vouched for him. If the rest of them wanted to stay at that man's house, Gil would obviously follow. Renna was so… friendly, even after having spent so many years away from people. Not completely away, as they had to sometimes encounter a few people, but never anything that resulted in a proper bond. The most they'd done before was passing people by, asking for directions or information, buying some things from a store, and other such tasks.

There might've been a few times where Renna would've struck up a conversation with a stranger, but those hadn't progressed further. After all this time, Renna was still as friendly as always. She never lost her ability to do well in social situations. Gil took another sip of his coffee, this time with a smile. He looked out at the rain again. It was still reliably pouring down.

They were definitely going out today, to wherever this secret project was. To wherever place this man in charge was. With, hopefully, no trouble. And that was all he knew. They really did do a good job at keeping this a secret. Gil didn't pry into it a lot, though. He understood that Renna, along with Neptune and Uzume, wanted it to be a surprise. He didn't dislike surprises if they were meant to be good. Well, it depended. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. If it was something that his sister made or did for him, then that was always something he liked.

Speaking of Renna…

"Boo!"

Renna had snuck up behind Gil and placed her hands on his shoulders, which did elicit some surprise.

"Did I getcha?", asked Renna, smiling away.

Gil turned to face her with a small smile. "Yes, a little bit."

Renna gave a slightly smug expression for a second, and then went to a friendly face. She moved next to Gil, also looking out the window. "It's raining quite a lot."

"It is."

"And it's supposed to go on for a few days. How many?"

"I don't know."

Renna seemed to contemplate something for a few seconds, taking a more thoughtful face. "The project's done by today. That's what I was told."

"I remember you saying that."

"Hmmm… I'm sure the other two wouldn't mind."

"Mind going out in the rain?"

"Yeah." Gil smiled to himself with a small huff, which Renna observed. "What? What's up?"

"I was just thinking about how you'd want to go out today, even in the rain."

"Well, yeah! Nothing like a little bit of rain is going to get in the way of your gift!"

"Of course," Gil looked to his sister. "What else do you have planned for today?"

Renna thought for a while. "I was thinking that we do something after we go get the surprise, but you'll only get to know that later."

"Why? Does it involve whatever we're getting?"

"Yup."

"Naturally."

Renna nodded. "I'm going to make myself some of that coffee you have there."

"Alright."

Renna started moving towards where the coffee was, but stopped mid-stride. "On second thought, why don't you get the coffee going, and I go wake the other two up?"

"Why?"

"I feel like it would be better if I woke them up."

"I… can kind of see where you're coming from."

"So that's a yes?"

"That's a yes."

"Cool, I'll go do that."

Renna then sauntered off towards the bedroom, leaving Gil to take care of the coffee. He started making Renna's coffee, and then brought out another two mugs. Neptune and Uzume would probably want, so he'd cater for that.

In a few minutes time, he heard shuffling behind him. He turned to see Renna, Neptune and Uzume walking towards the kitchen. Renna was bright eyed and energetic for the coming day. Neptune looked sleepy and some of her hair stuck out at places. Uzume looked… normal. She wasn't energetic or sleepy. Just normal.

"Mornin', Gilsy.", greeted Uzume.

Neptune raised a hand lazily. "Yeah, morning and stuff…"

"Morning.", said Gil, who had already brought three cups of coffee to the counter.

"You made for all of us?", asked Renna.

"Yes."

Neptune's eyes widened. "Give it to me! That thing! Your dark coffee!" She rushed towards her cup of coffee.

"It's probably some sort of reference.", waved off Uzume, who also grabbed her cup.

Renna didn't respond, and instead retrieved her own coffee.

They all stood in the kitchen, drinking up and waking up. In a few minutes time, they were done.

"What else is there to do?", asked Uzume.

Renna shrugged. "Besides get ready to go, nothing much."

"So then let's get going soon! The readers haven't seen any of us fight in the last… however many chapters! We gotta get some action!", exclaimed Neptune.

"What do you mean with us fighting?", asked Gil.

"I dunno. Just had a feeling that that's what would happen today."

Gil looked to Renna. "I'm not saying anything.", replied Renna.

Uzume raised an eyebrow. "So it could actually happen? I thought Neptune was going off on one of her weird talks."

"Oh, right. I mean, I haven't told any of you what's going to happen after."

"So it was Neptune being Neptune…"

"But Neptune's right, we should all get going soon. It's not too early for us to visit, so we can go immediately!"

Uzume looked out of a window. "Maybe we should wait a bit for the rain to calm down."

"It's not too bad, though, is it?", said Renna.

"It's not. But I thought we could wait around for a bit anyway. To properly prepare."

"I suppose… Everyone else up for it?"

"Uh-huh.", replied Neptune.

"If that's what everyone wants, yes.", replied Gil.

"Then I guess we are waiting."

Uzume started walking towards the bedroom again. "I'm gonna go get dressed. See ya."

"That's probably a good idea.", said Renna.

"Agreed!", said Neptune, who also walked towards the bedroom.

"Renna, before you go…", started Gil.

"Mmm, what's up?"

"For reference, what's this person we're going to meet's name? The one in charge of the project?"

"Oh, right, I never told you! His name's Dusty!"

"Dusty?"

"Yup! It means stone!"

"That's… interesting."

"He's very tall."

"Good to know."

Renna nodded and walked backwards, looking at Gil for a moment before turning around in her stride. Gil watched her reach the door to the bedroom, slide it open, enter it, and slide it closed. He proceeded to walk to the kotatsu. He decided that he'd play some games for a while, before getting dressed himself. A single player game would be good, for now. But what would he play?

Gil looked throughout the games that were in the cabinet and pulled out a particular one. He looked at the front and back of it and read through the manual that was inside the case. It was about a blonde haired boy that primarily wore green. He had a sword and shield, but apparently a bow was also a weapon in the game. From the description he read, he seemed to be on a quest to help a princess.

Gil decided to give it a try.

* * *

**A few hours later:**

Gil was still playing the same game. It was massive. There were so many things to do in it and so many secrets in it. Renna sat next to him, watching him play, while Neptune and Uzume sat at the kotatsu.

"I've just saved.", said Gil, who paused the game, exited it, and turned the console off.

Renna got to her feet. "Cool! So we can go now."

Uzume looked out of a window. "Great. It's… after twelve now, and I think the rain has died down a bit."

"It has indeedy! Much more manageable now.", said Neptune, jumping to her feet.

"Lead the way.", said Gil.

Renna smiled and lead the way out of the hotel. They made sure to avoid stepping out into the rain when they could, but it wasn't always an option. They stopped at the entrance of the hotel.

"So, where are we going?", asked Gil.

"To an older part of Lowee!", answered Renna.

"It's not too different, but you notice it when you look around. Things like how the buildings look or how things are set up. Things like that.", said Uzume.

"Alright."

"None of you have umbrellas, right?", asked Neptune.

Renna shook her head. "Nope."

"No.", replied Gil.

"Did we pack umbrellas, Uzume?"

Uzume started looking through her inventory. "I think so. Let me check…" After a few moments, she answered with a sigh. "We did… but there're only three of them."

"We'll have to make do.", said Neptune, who turned to Renna and Gil. "So…"

"Gil and I will be under the same umbrella.", said Renna, not giving any time for any additional consideration.

Uzume held out a plain blue umbrella for Renna to take, which she did. Renna smiled at Gil and offered him the umbrella. "Here, you hold it, since you're taller."

"Okay." He opened it up and held it above him. It would provide enough cover for them to walk through the rain without getting too wet.

Uzume then handed Neptune her umbrella, which was a plain pink one. Uzume took her own one, being red.

Renna nudged at Gil. "I'll direct you, don't worry." Renna lead the way forward through the city, with Neptune and Uzume next to her and Gil. The streets were significantly less busy, which made sense. Not many stalls were out, and when they were, they were set up under buildings or covers. Since it was cloudy, everything was given a much darker, gloomier look to it. Even now, no sun was able to pierce the clouds. There were large puddles on the paths and roads. When they were next to a road in a more commercial area, cars would slow down when approaching to not cause a big splash.

"At least we won't get sprayed on like in the movies!", said Neptune.

"That only happens when it's a bad day, Nepsy."

"What do you mean?", asked Renna, who was slowly skipping while under the umbrella. She looked to Neptune and Uzume with a curious face.

Neptune smiled at her. "You've never seen that trope before? It happens in soooo many movies! Like, the main character is walking through the road on a bad day, and a car comes rushing passed and splashes a huge puddle onto them!"

"O-Oh… But why only on a bad day?"

"It's like a thing in movies and other stuff where, when it rains, something bad's gonna happen.", explained Uzume. "Rain is often used to tell that a day's gonna be bad in that stuff since it makes the day all gloomy and dark."

"So, like, it's foreshadowing?"

"Yeah, that. When you see rain in an anime or a movie or somethin', be wary. Something bad could happen."

"But it doesn't happen all the time, right?"

"Yeah, not all the time."

"Like how it's rained here a few times in the past, and even yesterday!", exclaimed Neptune.

"I suppose. I'd rather something good happened, since I don't mind the rain.", said Renna. Renna proceeded to skip a bit ahead of the umbrella, letting the rain fall on her.

"Renna…", spoke Gil.

"Whaaaat, it's fiiiiine! A little rain won't hurt me!" She looked up and closed her eyes, letting it fall onto her face. She looked back down and cupped her hands together, letting them fill up with water. She threw her arms up in the air, letting the water go. She then returned to being under the umbrella.

"Yeah, being a bit playful under the rain is fine, right?", asked Neptune, who proceeded to spin around while lowering her umbrella, smiling all the while.

"As long as you don't make any of us wet.", said Uzume.

Neptune looked at her with playful eyes. "Aww, come on, Uzume. I know your cute side really wants to go dance around in the rain."

"I-I don't know what you're talkin' about, Nepsy."

"Sure, sure…"

The street lights were all on. Even if it wasn't as dark as it was at night, lights still helped with seeing in the rain. Many shops also had their lights flickering. Since they were still going through a commercial area, they could sometimes see into the shops. They all looked light and bright, with some people still coming and going. The people that walked mostly had umbrellas with them. Some of them had raincoats on them. Some people were even in the same position as Renna and Gil, where they had to share an umbrella. They all walked like this for a while.

Renna spotted a restaurant and came up with an idea. "How about we stop here for some food?"

Uzume shrugged. "I don't mind."

Neptune looked excited. "We should, we should!"

Renna looked up to Gil expectantly. "Yeah, we can go.", said Gil.

They all entered the restaurant, which was warm inside. They could choose from a variety of different tables, and they chose a booth that was against a wall. The seats were wide, designed for more than one person to sit on each side. They were comfortable, as well. Renna and Gil sat together, and Neptune and Uzume sat opposite them.

Neptune looked around. "It looks reeeal nice in here."

A warm light shone across the entire room, with a few chandeliers dotting the ceiling. There seemed to be a bar in a corner of the establishment with a tender serving some people. A few circular tables were present, but there didn't seem to be many people here. It made sense, due to the obviously wet condition outside. The floor was wooden and was made up of long, but not too wide, polished planks which were chestnut brown.

The walls and ceilings were painted with a paley-brown colour, and the booth that the group was sitting at had a large window next to them. The window was on Renna and Gil's right side, and the opposite for Neptune and Uzume. It was cozy.

"It does. That's why I chose it.", replied Renna.

Uzume rubbed her hands together. "Nice and warm…"

Gil looked out of the window and could see some people walk past. Some people were moving quickly, some of them slowly. Others stood around under cover or in alleyways. What they were doing, Gil didn't know.

Neptune leaned over the table with her hands on her chin. "So what are we ordering?"

Uzume looked around the table, and it seemed like there was a slot that held a few menus on it, which was attached to the side of the table. She pulled some of the menus out. "That's pretty good design." She then handed them out to the other three. They all opened the menus up, looking through the assortment of food and drinks. "First of all, let's get drinks sorted out. I think I'll have some… tea."

"And I'll have hot chocolate.", said Neptune.

"Ooh, I think I'll have that as well.", said Renna.

"I'll have tea.", said Gil.

Neptune slumped down onto the table. "You two are so boring…"

Uzume pulled her back up to lean against the large seat, causing Neptune to rest her head against it. "It's not being boring. Just because it's not some fancy-dancy drink doesn't mean that it's boring."

"That is what it means, though."

"Whatever."

"It's simple, but it's still nice.", said Renna.

"Exactly! Have a little light in your lives!", said Neptune.

"What about food?", asked Gil.

"Right, that. That normally happens after we order drinks. Like, when we're doing the whole drinking thing."

Gil started looking around. "…Right."

They all sat around for a while, talking about general stuff. What they thought about Lowee, the restaurant, that game Gil was playing, and other such things. A waitress eventually came up to them, introduced herself, and set out to take and deliver their orders. She seemed nice enough.

"I hope they're quick.", said Renna. And sure enough, they were. In a few minutes time, two cups of hot chocolate and two cups of tea were served.

"Smells nice.", commented Gil.

And they all had their drinks.

"So… You come here often?", asked Neptune, showing a toothy smile to Gil, who was opposite her.

Gil looked at her blankly. "Very funny."

Uzume raised an eyebrow while leaning on her elbow. "You never stop, do you?"

"Nope!"

Renna looked outside. "Yeah…"

When they had finished their drinks, they all spoke about what to eat.

"I think it should be something hot to warm us all up.", suggested Renna.

"Like a curry.", added Gil.

"Yeah, I think I'll go with that."

"Not a bad idea. I'll have that too.", said Uzume.

"Make that three!", said Neptune.

"You mean four.", said Gil.

"Four! I meant four!"

They waited for the waitress to make her way back to them, and they ordered a fairly standard curry. And a glass of water each, just in case. They waited for over ten minutes, when the food arrived. It looked really nice, and you could see the steam rise up into the air.

"Now this smells great.", said Uzume.

Neptune and Uzume started eating, but Renna looked slightly nervous.

"What's wrong?", asked Neptune, noticing Renna's hesitance.

"Oh, nothing, nothing."

"Then why the face?", asked Uzume.

"Well… Um, we haven't really eaten hot food in a long time."

Neptune looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah… We had some hot foods, but nothing like this, from a restaurant. Gil here did make some curry at times, but not often."

"We didn't always have the resources.", added Gil.

"So it's a case like, you have had curry, but not to this intensity?", summarized Uzume.

"Yeah… that sums it up.", said Renna.

"Well at least you have water!", said Neptune. "You can have mine if you really need it."

"I'll give you mine as well. If you need it.", added Uzume.

"Thanks.", said Renna, before looking at Gil. He was in a similar situation as her.

And they started. Things were going well at first, with neither of them showing any signs of problems. As things went on, though…

Neptune gave a concerned smile to Renna. "You doing okay there, Renny?"

Renna was looking at her food with a slightly open mouth, trying to cool off. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine." She took a sip of water.

"And you, Gilsy?", asked Uzume.

"I'm… fine.", said Gil, who also took a sip of water. He was looking at his food with downward eyebrows, as if he was trying to intimidate it, which didn't work. He took another sip of water. And another. He then grit his teeth together.

"You… sure?"

He nodded his head slowly. "Yes." Another sip.

Renna took a different approach to Gil. She decided that she would eat quickly before drinking. But she took large gulps instead of sips. Neither of them seemed to be better off than the other. Neptune could not contain herself, seeing the spectacle in front of her. "Oh. My. Goddess! You guys were being super serious about this!"

"Yes, we were!", exclaimed the siblings.

"Woah, that's a first."

"Let 'em be, Nepsy."

"Oh, come on, Uzume! Tell me it's not funny."

Uzume looked between the struggling duo, and could see that they seriously were battling with the heat. "O-Okay… Yeah… It's kinda funny."

"Kinda? Kinda? No, no, Uzume, it's way more than kinda funny. It's hilarious!"

"You're not helping…", said Renna.

"Eh? Just look at 'em, Uzume!"

"Are you some sort of secret sadist?!", asked Uzume.

"Nothing like that, silly. It's just that they have funny faces."

"Thanks.", said Gil. This continued for a few minutes, with Renna and Gil trying to eat and Neptune constantly trying to get Uzume to laugh.

Renna and Gil had finished their glasses of water, and sometimes eyed the other glasses, which Neptune noticed. "What, you want some?" Both Renna and Gil refused the offers.

In a few minutes, they were done.

"And we're all done! Great choice of food, you guys.", said Neptune.

"Yeah…", mumbled Renna and Gil.

Renna stood up. "I'm, uh, going to go to the bathroom. See you in a few."

"Me too. Please deal with the bill while we're gone.", said Gil, who placed some credits onto the table as he left.

They were both quickly out of sight.

"Huh, I was gonna pay, but I guess not.", commented Uzume.

"Suppose they're too chivalrous. It isn't dead!", said Neptune. "They've probably gone to go drink some water."

"You're probably right."

The waitress came back with the tab. The duo paid up and left their seats, waiting at the entrance to the restaurant. Renna and Gil came into view again, and they looked around for Neptune and Uzume, who they spotted after darting their heads around for a few moments.

"You're back!", exclaimed Neptune.

"We are.", replied Renna. "And now that… that's done, we should go to the place!"

"Yeah, it's not too far from here, right?", asked Uzume.

"Uh-huh."

"The place… Yes, the place! Of course, the place! Don't you know the place, Gilly?", teased Neptune.

"We've already been through this."

"I know."

"You'll know in a bit, don't worry.", said Renna. "But anyway, it's this way! Follow me."

They all exited the building, pulling their umbrellas out again. They walked through the street towards their destination. They passed many buildings, and the architecture of them started to slowly change.

"So this is what you meant by it being in an older area.", said Gil.

"Yeah! And look, look, there's our destination!", said Renna, pointing towards a building with a large structure behind it. Renna ran off towards it, with Neptune quickly following her, putting away her umbrella.

"You're still in the rain, you know!", shouted Uzume. "Dammit…" Uzume then did the same, stowing away her umbrella while running towards the building.

Gil looked on at the three of them with half lidded eyes. He then turned his vision to the structure itself, looking at the main area as well as the building behind it. He walked towards the entrance, and joined the other three just in front of the sliding door, which was under cover. "This it?"

Renna nodded at him. "Yup!"

Neptune was rubbing her hands in excitement. "Oh, this is going to be so cool!"

"For real though, it's super cool.", added Uzume.

"Be sure to take your shoes off before entering.", instructed Renna, who, along with Neptune and Uzume, were doing just that.

Gil packed away the umbrella and handed it to Uzume before taking his shoes off.

Neptune ushered Gil forward. "You enter first!"

"I was just gonna say that.", said Renna.

"Just go with it.", finished Uzume.

Gil looked between them all and walked to the sliding door. He felt a tug at the back of his shirt. "It's me.", said Renna, who seemed to hold onto Gil's shirt. "It'll make sense in a few moments."

"…Okay." He stepped forward with Renna following very close behind. He slid the door open and saw the interior. It was filled with adventuring equipment. From armour, to weaponry, to shields. They were mounted across the walls, on counters, in glass containers, and placed on racks. The white wooden walls held a lot of them. At the opposite end and to the right was a counter where the man in charge presumably sat.

And there he was in his rotatable seat. Dusty, Gil assumed. He looked to be aged but in good shape. Straight, black, shoulder length hair. And when he looked up from his magazine, Gil could see his yellow eyes. He eyed up Gil from afar, placing the magazine down while leaning on the counter.

"Welcome.", he said, with a gruff and deep voice.

Gil blinked a few times at this sight, seeing so many pieces of adventuring equipment around him. They all had the prices under them. Renna nudged him from behind, urging him to move forward. He did so, walking while looking around. Eventually he was at the till, standing in front of Dusty.

"Welcome to my shop. As you can see, I deal with the making of equipment, all hand crafted.", said Dusty. He stood up, and Gil remembered back to when Renna called him tall. Even though he seemed to have many years on him, he looked to be in great shape.

"I've never seen you before. Are you here to buy something, or request something to be made?" Gil waited a bit before answering. "You okay, boy?"

"…Yes, I'm fine. I'm here to collect something."

"To… collect something? But you've never-"

Just then, Renna stepped from behind Gil, leaning over to her right side while smiling at Dusty. "Hello Dusty!"

Dusty huffed. "Oh, I see what's happening." Neptune and Uzume walked through the sliding door, closing it behind them. "And your other friends are here as well, I see."

"Hey.", greeted Uzume.

"Hiya!", waved Neptune.

All four of them stood in front of Dusty's till, with Renna and Gil being in the center. Uzume was next to Gil and Neptune was next to Renna. Dusty looked at Renna, Neptune and Uzume, before finally settling on Gil. "So… I take it you're the brother?"

Gil looked to Renna, who was smiling between the two men, and then back to Dusty. "Yes. My name is Gil."

"Gil, huh? My name is Dusty, and I run this fine establishment."

"Good to meet you."

"Likewise." Dusty sat back down in his chair. "So, show me your arms." Gil looked around him and could see the other three looking at him in anticipation.

"Well, go on! Do it!", said Renna.

"Go! Go! Fight!", exclaimed Neptune.

"Go on!", said Uzume.

Gil lowered his head, and looked at Dusty for a few seconds. He then stepped closer to the counter and placed both of his arms on it. Dusty looked at them, summing them up. "Could you pull your sleeves up?" Gil did just that after a few moments. Dusty surveyed them some more. "Hm. Good." Gil retracted his arms towards him, pulling his sleeves back down.

"You look like you can handle these.", said Dusty, pulling out a metal case.

Neptune's face lit up. "Ooooh, are they in that?"

"Yes, they are. Primed and ready to use."

"I can't wait to see them in action! Man, they're gonna be so cool!", said Uzume, who was excited to see the finished product.

"They'll perform well, you can be sure."

"Go on, Gilly. Open it.", said Renna, in a soft voice.

Gil looked at the metal box for a few moments. He then placed his hands by two clasps that, when flicked upwards, would allow the box to be opened. He used his thumbs to flick them up, and the case opened slightly.

"And here they are…", said Dusty.

Gil fully opened the case, exposing a soft black material that housed its contents. There were two gauntlets inside.

"They're yours.", said Renna.

Gil reached inside, gently pulling the gauntlets out and laying them on the table. He widened his eyes, picking one up to inspect it.

"Fine piece of work, those are.", commented Dusty.

They… They were just like Renna's boots. The same patterns, the same material, colours, shapes, inlays, details, feeling. Everything.

"What do you think?", asked Renna, eager for an answer.

Gil was speechless. He took the right gauntlet with his left hand and slipped it on. He did the same with the left gauntlet. They felt like they belonged. He moved his arms about, bending his elbow to experience how they felt. He clasped his fists into a ball, and then one finger at a time. They moved perfectly.

"Gilly?"

Gil stopped looking at his hands and faced Renna. "Thank you, Renna. They're more than I could've ever asked for."

Renna beamed up at him, her smile widening at his response. She jumped forward, giving Gil a full blown hug. Gil returned this, but made sure to not hurt Renna. "Be… careful, Renna. These have sharp bits by the fingers."

"I don't care." Gil smiled softly at this.

"Aww, how wholesome.", said Neptune.

"T-That's… c…", mumbled Uzume, trying to keep her voice down.

"What? What is it, Uzume? Something that begins with a C? Is it followed by three other letters?"

"N-No!"

"Oh, then you wouldn't mind saying it?"

"I don't have to say it!"

"Why? Isn't Uzume so confident and brave to say whatever she wants?"

"Uzume is those things! …I-I mean, shut up, Nepsy!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know what you wanted to say." Neptune looked back at the siblings. "It's cute."

Renna pulled away from the hug.

Gil faced Dusty. "And, thanks. For making this…"

"It feels amazing, don't it?", asked Dusty.

"It… does. It feels… good."

"Means I've done the job right. It wouldn't fit me even if I tried, so I couldn't tell you what they felt like."

"…Yeah."

"They were a joy to forge, those things. Wish I got the opportunity to do something like this more often."

Gil admired his arms again. "You were… very quick with making these."

"Well, I am one of the best blacksmiths in the world, after all. Probably the best in this nation."

"That is… good to know."

"A shame that I don't get to see them being used, though."

"About that…", said Renna, joining in the conversation. Gil lifted an eyebrow at her, as did Dusty. "I was thinking about testing them out right now! You know, to see how well they perform!"

Neptune punched the air. "I knew it! This is why I felt like there'd be a fight!"

"I could kinda see this coming, it makes sense.", added Uzume.

"How? Where?", asked Gil.

"In a dungeon. Somewhere. Or any place for a fight, really.", said Renna. "And you're invited too, Dusty!"

Dusty blinked a few times at this. "But it's raining, girl. And I have a shop to run."

"I know! Get a raincoat and close the shop for an hour or two! You're the boss."

Dusty seemed to contemplate this for a few moments. "Those aren't bad ideas, actually… Let me go get my coat." Dusty then walked through the door leading to the back of the building.

"We're gonna see them in action?! That's so cool!", said Uzume, clasping her fists together.

"In the rain? You're okay with that? I don't mind.", said Neptune.

"The rain makes it cooler! Like, all dramatic and stuff!", said Renna. "If you're okay with it, Gil."

"I don't mind at all."

"Cool!"

"But why did you say that it'd be more dramatic?"

"Hmmm… You'll see!"

They waited around for a few minutes, with everyone inspecting the new armaments. "Hah! Armaments! Get it, because they're ARM-aments! Hah!", laughed Neptune.

Uzume rolled her eyes. "You're so lame."

"But those are some pretty good lookin' things, right there.", continued Neptune. "Can I feel 'em?"

Gil looked at Neptune and Uzume, and then at his arms. He opened his palms and unsummoned his gauntlets from being on his arms to being held in his hands. He reached his arms out, offering one to each of them. "Sure." Neptune half-lidded her eyes and pouted while Uzume sighed. They both took a gauntlet, though.

"It feels so cool. So clean and… so well made.", said Uzume. She gently bopped the top of the gauntlet. "It feels sturdy."

"Hmm…", hummed Neptune, holding the gauntlet out with one hand while putting the other to her chin. She opened the palm of the gauntlet and felt around. "They're good."

After a few moments of inspection, Dusty returned. He had a long, dark blue raincoat on that had its hood down. It reached down to his knees. "Come, I'll close up. I know an area that we can go to, as well."

"Cool!", said Renna."Let's get to it!"

The party of five left Dusty's shop, heading out for a dungeon. Dusty made sure to lock everything he could, and made sure to make it known that the shop was closed. There was a small sign outside that showed that it wasn't open at the time. Once Dusty finished with the sign, he turned to the group. "Alright, follow me. It's not a very long way away from here, but it's still a bit of a walk. You can all handle that, right?"

"Shouldn't we be asking you that, old man?", teased Neptune.

"Easy there, girl. This body still has plenty of time left."

Renna, Gil, Neptune, and Uzume all took out there umbrellas, with Renna and Gil still standing under one.

"You forgot an umbrella or what?", asked Dusty, raising an eyebrow.

"Nope, we didn't have enough. But we don't mind!", said Renna.

Dusty huffed at this, and then started walking to the East of Lowee. "Follow me." They started walking through the streets, and were heading for a nearby area.

Unbeknownst to them, as they started walking East, a figure that was viewing them from across the streets walked out from under some cover. "Here we go. Last chance to do this the clean way." The figure had a green hoodie over them that was protecting them from the rain.

"…Or else this might get a little… dirty."

* * *

**Under an hour later, to the East of Lowee City:**

It was still raining. Dusty had taken up the back of the group, telling the others to continue down a path. He wanted to make sure none of them got lost on the way, so he kept them in his view. Renna and Gil were both under one umbrella, taking up the front. Neptune and Uzume were behind them, under their own umbrellas. They all slowly strolled through the forest that they were navigating through.

Although the clouds and rain put a damper on things, the orange leaved trees still stood out. They were like this the whole year round, but it was still a spectacle at times. And even with the rain, the other four didn't seem to mind. They were quite a lively bunch. Dusty remembered back to when he was younger. He'd been at the forge his whole life, but he had been on his fair share of adventures. Sometimes he'd have to get materials himself.

Hell, he still did that to this day, although it was much easier to get materials from suppliers nowadays. He had used a variety of weapons in his experience. It helped to know how a weapon worked when you made it. Gave you more insight. And Dusty had a lot of that.

He looked forward to Renna and Gil. They were quite close, weren't they? He hoped so, that kinda stuff was important. He'd like to know more about them and how they got the weapons. Renna seemed adamant to keep those details secret, though.

Dusty gazed forward. He really didn't want anything bad to happen. He really hoped that they'd take his offer to stay at his house for a while, for safety. If they were under his vision, they'd be much safer. He looked at the two in front of him. The red head and the purple one. Dusty didn't know much about these two, save their names and how they acted.

The purple one, Neptune, seemed to be quite lively. A jokester. Probably a tease, as well. When Dusty was still in the front of the pack, he'd sometimes gazed backwards to make sure they were all still following him. He'd see this Neptune girl look around a lot, which was natural. But she could decide to veer off into the forest because she saw something interesting. Dusty didn't know why, but he got that impression of her.

He'd also seen her gaze towards Renna and Gil with very unique eyes. If Dusty had to describe them, they'd be… hopeful. For some reason. Why was that? And the redhead, Uzume. She seemed to come off as the rough and tumble type of girl. A tomboy. If that was the case, that'd mean she could get stuff done. Which was always good. Dusty had seen her pull that Neptune girl back on track sometimes, so he figured she was the responsible type.

Dusty returned to looking forward onto the path. This was just a group of adventurers. Nothing more, nothing less. And yet, for some reason, Dusty had actually gotten to know more than just their names. That wasn't something that happened often with him, except with the regulars. But even then, this was a very quick case. A standard group of adventurers. Possibly. A standard group of people, though?

"I can see a clearing!", said Renna.

"That's the place.", said Dusty. "There should be a few monsters in there to take care of first."

"What do you mean, first?", asked Uzume.

Dusty huffed amusingly. "You'll see. Renna's got something planned."

"And how do you know?", asked Neptune.

"What, do you think we only spoke about the gauntlets when she came to check up on them? She's visited my shop more than three times, not including today, and she's spoken about different things many times."

Neptune looked surprised. "I-I can't tell if that's you being self-aware of the story and the amount of chapters you've been in or simply you justifying how you know something we don't…"

"Take it as you will."

"W-What's that supposed to mean?!"

The five of them kept walking, and they eventually reached the clearing. It was a circular expanse of short grass with orange leaves littering parts of the ground in patches. It was a flat piece of land. And there were three enemies in the way.

"A challenger is approaching!", spoke Neptune.

"First test, Gilly.", spoke Renna.

"Have at 'em!", encouraged Uzume.

Gil looked at Renna, and then stepped forward into the rain.

Dusty crossed his arms. "Let's see how they perfom."

"He'll use them well, I know he will.", said Renna.

Neptune looked forward eagerly. "Yup!"

"I'm sure he'll show them off well this time. Without using anything else.", said Uzume.

Gil continued to walk forward, looking at the enemies in front of him. There were three of them. Three Coyotes. Nothing special. They looked at Gil and growled. They started advancing slowly as a unit of three. Gil then summoned his gauntlets onto his arms. They felt natural there.

Two of the creatures jumped at Gil, and Gil held his arms out to them. They bit at his arms, trying to latch on. They found that they couldn't latch onto Gil's arms since their teeth could not puncture his gauntlets. Gil shook them off, throwing them to the side.

The third Coyote, who was going to lunge at Gil's leg while the other two dealt with his arms, was instead met by Gil's hands. It still lunged forward, but Gil grabbed its jaw mid-lunge, clasping it shut with his right hand. He then raised his arm above him and thrust the Coyote to the floor, smashing its head against the earth. This caused it to dissipate into crystals.

"As durable as they should be.", commented Dusty.

The second creature lunged at Gil and was met by a backhand to the face. The creature tumbled backwards, rolling across the ground. The first Coyote jumped at Gil, but Gil sidestepped it and elbowed its back with his left arm, stopping it midair and sending it directly downwards. Gil then dropped to one knee, holding his fingers out straight, and pierced into the Coyote's body. The creature let out a small howl and then shattered.

The last Coyote started slowly circling Gil. Gil decided to run towards it, aiming to punch the creature into the ground with his right hand. The creature backstepped away from the attack, and was looking for a lunging counterattack. Gil used his right hand to swipe at the creature, cutting across its body as it went past him. He then grabbed its tail and slammed it to the floor, causing it to disappear.

Uzume nodded. "Way to go. Those things seem pretty effective."

"They do.", replied Gil, looking at Uzume, who smiled.

"You seem to know how to handle yourself, boy. Even if they weren't boss monsters."

"I'm not sure how tough they're considered to be.", added Gil.

"No matter."

"Gilly's strong! He knows how to kick butt!", said Neptune, kicking out her leg for extra emphasis. "We all do!"

"He knows how to fight.", stated Renna.

"Yeah, I sure hope so with what you have in stall.", said Dusty. "Boy, you didn't have to finish them off so quickly, I would've liked to have seen them in battle for longer."

"I'm… sorry."

Dusty smiled slightly. "But it isn't a problem. Your sister has other plans for today."

Gil looked between Renna and Dusty with questioning eyes. He looked to Neptune and Uzume, who shrugged their shoulders.

"We know somethin's gonna happen, but we don't know what.", said Uzume.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. It'll be super cool and stuff!", said Neptune.

"Come back under the umbrella, Gilly.", said Renna.

"Right.", said Gil, who took a hold of the umbrella, holding it above himself and Renna.

Dusty started walking forward. "Let's move further in." They all walked in, listening to the pitter pattering of the rain on the umbrellas.

They were at the center of the open area. Renna looked at Neptune, Uzume and Dusty, and Dusty knew what was going to happen. He started backing off a small distance. "You two, get back. Next to me.", instructed Dusty.

Neptune and Uzume looked quizzical, as they didn't know what was going to happen. "What do you mean? What's gonna happen?", asked Neptune, looking between Dusty and both Renna and Gil.

"Let's just say that you should give them some space."

Gil had turned with Renna, and was curious as to what was happening. "Renna? What's going on?"

Renna looked at the three in front of her, and then up at Gil with a smile. "We're going to test out your gauntlets some more!"

"How?"

Uzume was looking at the pair in front of her, a small distance away. She then looked at Dusty. "What do you mean, "some space?" What does…"

Dusty slowly looked at her, his face angled somewhat downwards. It was expectant, eager, and knowing. Uzume figured it out, and her eyes widened, with her mouth opening slightly. "…Oh."

Renna clasped her hands behind her back. "You know, Gilly, I was really happy when you liked these. They're my gifts to you, so don't think that you owe me anything."

"Of course I'd like these. How could I not?"

Renna smiled calmly at Gil. "I knew you'd say something like that. Even if I know you'll appreciate them, hearing that is always good." Renna took a hold of the umbrella, and Gil let it go. She retracted it back into its smaller form, letting the rain fall down onto her and Gil.

"What?! Uzume, you've figured it out?! You've cracked the code?! You've solved the puzzle?! You've-", said Neptune.

"Yes, Nepsy, I know what's going on. It's kinda obvious, thinking on it now."

"So this Nep is the only one out of the know?! Out of the loop?!"

"Well, no. It's you and Gilsy over there."

Renna turned towards Uzume. "Hey, Uzume! Catch!" She threw the umbrella towards caught it with her free hand and stowed it away.

"And they've thrown the umbrella away, great. What…", started Neptune.

"Come on, Nepsy. What're we here to do?"

Neptune took some time to think about what was going on. "…Oh.", said Neptune, upon figuring it out. She had a similar reaction to Uzume.

Dusty was looking forward, his arms crossed, eager to see what would unfold before him.

"Renna?", asked Gil.

"Yes, Gilly?"

"What now?"

Renna looked down at the floor for a few moments, and then up to the sky. She held her arms up, similar to before, and closed her eyes. She was still close to Gil, and when she looked back down, she was smiling. She looked to her right, seeing that Neptune, Uzume and Dusty were all a safe distance away. And she then looked back to Gil, blinking slowly.

"What happens now, Renna?"

"What do you think, Gilly?"

Renna summoned her boots. Gil didn't respond. He looked to the floor, closing his eyes for some time before looking back to Renna.

"So this is what you meant when you said you wanted to test how well these performed…" He summoned his gauntlets.

"Yup." Renna walked backwards a bit, making a fair distance between the two. "It's time for a bit of sparring practice, Gilly."

* * *

**Did some of you guess that this was going to happen? I know it wasn't super hard to figure out, but it's still cool! Right?**

**I really hope you all enjoyed that! ****I originally planned for this chapter to be much longer, but I felt like that was a good place to stop. **

**So yeah, let me know what you think! Reviews and other such super nice stuff like that is always a great pleasure to see! Fire away!**

**A friend of mine is also working on some stuff that relates to this story, and I'll let you guys know about when I can. I don't really want to say what, to keep it a surprise, but yeah. It's very cool!**

**Again, I really, really hope you enjoyed the read! I enjoy making these, so I hope you enjoy reading them!**

**So yeah, I think that's about it, this time.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	24. Rain

**Hello all, and a very Merry Christmas to you all! I hope you all had a wonderful day, even if you don't celebrate it! And many more good days to come!**

**Kinda a long note this time, but please do read until the end! There are two super important things I make know. Like, REALLY important.**

**So, good news! Remember when I said that a great friend of mine was working on something for this story? ****It's a picture of what Renna looks like at the moment! And it's done! He did it so quickly, too. ****I hope links work, because here it is: **

**www dot pixiv dot net/en/artworks/78281193**

**So where it says dot , put an actual dot. A "." Yeah. With no spaces, please.**

**Hope that works. ****I'm super happy with it! Please, go check it out, and go see his other stuff as well! He's a talented artist, and he's coming up new works for the future! So be prepared for that. ****Again, please go check him, and this piece, out.**

**There's not much more to say, just that I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**So yeah! Please enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 23:**

It suddenly felt like the rain fell harder. The atmosphere had changed.

Renna smiled brightly at Gil. "So here are the rules! No magic. I can't use any of mine, and you can't use any of yours. That's how it goes, if we really want to see what those two things are capable of." Gil looked on, listening. "Secondly, don't hold back. We're obviously not trying to kill each other, but don't go easy on me, Gilly. I won't either."

"But we shouldn't try to hurt each other too much.", said Gil.

"Yeah, no hospital worthy damage, please. This ends when we've had enough. If either of us gives up or if we simply want to stop, it's over. Since this is just practice." Gil nodded at Renna. "And finally…" Renna looked towards Neptune and Uzume. "No outside interference. None at all."

Renna continued to stare at the two of them for a moment before looking to Gil and holding her arms out. "And… that's that!"

"Okay."

"Any questions?"

"No."

"Cool!"

Renna then got low and stretched her legs out. She straightened her left leg and reached her hand out to touch the end of it. She then repeated the process with her right leg. Gil stretched his right arm to his left, locking it in with his left arm. He did this with his left arm, too. Renna stood up straight before she bent down, touching her toes with both hands. She then bent backwards, holding her arms behind her back to stretch some more. Gil did a similar action and also stretched his arms into the air behind his head. He rolled his shoulders forwards and backwards.

This wasn't going to be a life or death fight. It was simply a sparring match to see how well the gauntlets performed. But it also served another purpose, being general practice. And it was quite exciting for both siblings, although Renna showed this more. She was rocking her head from side to side slightly, very eager and still smiling. She had a determined face.

Gil kept scrunching his hands into fists and extending his fingers out multiple times. He was smiling slightly with a determined face that was much like his sister's. Renna started bouncing on her feet, and also rolled her shoulders.

"How do you think this'll go?", asked Uzume.

Neptune thought for a moment. "I dunno. Gilly's never used those gauntlets, but he used them well when he fought those monsters. I think he's good with his hands."

"Seems like it. But Renna's got some moves as well. You saw how she was with that dragon when we first met."

"True! Ahhh, I dunno!"

"What about you, Dusty?", asked Uzume.

"I haven't seen either of them fight other than those few minutes ago. So I can't say."

"Oh, right… Well, we've only seen Renna fight once, and Neptune here's got the most experience with how Gilsy fights.", said Uzume, lightly punching Neptune.

"How so? Did you fight him?", asked Dusty.

"Nep no! I haven't fought him. I kinda sorta… observed him?", answered Neptune, choosing her words carefully.

"She means she stalked him.", said Uzume.

"I did not! …Not the first time, at least…"

Dusty blinked a few times at Neptune, who rubbed the back of her head in response while trying to giggle it off. "You are a weird one."

"Thanks!"

"You ready?", asked Renna.

"Always.", replied Gil, nodding.

Renna lowered down, holding her hands open while they rested in the air. "I know." Gil held his hand in front of him with his right hand in front of his left. His hands were also open. They started.

Renna ran forward, her hands moving at her sides. Gil saw this and started running forward as well, looking to meet her in the center of the clearing. Renna front flipped into the air, bringing the back of her left foot down onto Gil. Gil raised both of his arms up into the air in an X-shape to block the attack. It connected, and Gil flipped his hands around to grab onto Renna's leg. He then swung around and was going to throw her off of him. But Renna shot her right foot through the gap under his hands, locked it around Gil's neck and pulled herself forward. Gil let go of her left foot as she was pulled towards his face, and Renna spun around so that she was sitting on his shoulders, locking both of her legs onto him.

Renna looked down at Gil, meeting his gaze. She then quickly leaned her body backwards and stretched her arms above her head. She fell backwards, making Gil fall with her. She kept herself up with her hands and, in a single, fluid motion, threw her legs back and unlocked her legs around Gil. This caused Gil to be thrown backwards and tumbe across the ground. He thrust his fingers into the earth, scraping across it to slow himself down while facing Renna.

As soon as she had thrown Gil, Renna flipped up into the air, spun around, and landed on her feet while facing Gil. Orange leaves were brushed up into the air by these quick, sudden movements. Gil stood up with his arms at his side. He then ran at Renna. She joined in on this. Gil jumped into the air, pulling his right arm and shoulder back to ready a blow. He rocketed to the ground where Renna was.

Renna moved out of the way, looking on as Gil impacted the ground with his fist, causing even more leaves to rise up around them. As Renna recovered from her dodge, she quickly dashed to Gil. She spun around, going for a roundhouse kick with her right leg. Gil saw this and swiped his arm up from the ground, sending leaves into the air and obscuring Renna's line of sight. Renna kicked through, but had missed.

Gil had ducked under it and grabbed her leg with both hands. He spun around, held her leg over his right shoulder and then flung Renna forward. She spun for a while in the air, but managed to control herself, landing on her feet with a low stance. She rushed at Gil and kicked at his chest multiple times. Gil blocked the kicks with his forearms, whether they came from the right, left, or above him. After blocking a kick at his right side, Gil pushed Renna's leg aside with his right arm and thrust his left hand towards Renna.

She managed to see this in time, getting low and onto her hands. She flipped forward so that her hands were on the ground and her feet were aiming at Gil's chest, pushing upwards with her hands so that she and Gil were sent up into the air. Still moving forward from the momentum of the attack, Renna again went to hit him with the back of her right foot. Gil managed to push the strike out of the way and grabbed another incoming kick from his left. He pulled Renna towards himself and grabbed her right arm with his left hand.

He had a hold on Renna's left arm and leg and spun to face the ground as they both fell. He threw Renna to the ground, and she impacted with it with her back to the floor. Gil, still falling, raised his arms above his head and angled his legs to fall on Renna. She barely moved out of the way and spun around with her legs out, sweeping Gil off of his feet. She then quickly jumped to her feet and forced his body to the ground with her right hand.

Leaves fell around them. Renna stayed in that position with her hand to Gil's chest. He was still lying on the ground. "Hey, Gilly." She took her hand off of him and held it out openly. Gil looked at Renna and took her hand. He was then pulled up to his feet.

"Woah…", said Uzume.

Dusty rubbed his chin with his fingers. "Hmmm…"

"Is it over?!", asked Neptune.

Renna backed away from Gil. "Nope! Round two!"

Gil stood in his starting stance."I'm ready."

They started again.

Renna ran towards Gil at incredible speed and jumped at him with her left leg out. Gil managed to dodge through the attack, and clotheslined into her stomach with his right arm. He ran with her for a while and eventually spun with her, throwing her into the distance. She rolled across the ground, coming to a stop and immediately taking off with her boots, upheaving some grass. She moved to Gil, going for a backwards roundhouse kick with her right leg.

Gil blocked it with his right arm and struck at Renna with the palm of his free hand. This impacted, but Renna held onto the arm. She raised herself from the ground and stretched her legs out towards Gil, positioning the soles of her feet to Gil's chest. This kept Renna in that position and Gil's left arm outstretched. Renna then bent her knees and, using Gil's attempts at pulling his arm away, propelled her knees into his stomach.

She fell backwards onto the ground and backflipped onto her feet. Gil gripped at his stomach for a moment before preparing himself. They both charged at each other, and Gil managed to get his attack off first. He tackled Renna and picked her up over his right shoulder, running with her for a while. Renna held her hands around Gil's head and seemed to enjoy this. It was almost like she was getting taken for a piggyback ride. Almost. She raised her arms into the air, enjoying the moment.

Gil threw her forward, letting her soar through the air until she landed on her feet. Renna smiled at Gil upon landing and then ran at him. She saw that there was a large puddle of water close to him, and would use that. When she was close enough, she kicked at the puddle, causing water to spray onto Gil. Gil blocked his eyes with his left arm and lowered it down just in time to see Renna's left leg heading for him. He punched straight at it with his right fist, and the two attacks collided in the air. The boots and the gauntlets had made contact, neither of them giving in. It almost looked like a small shockwave emanated from the impact.

Renna fell to the ground and threw some punches at Gil, who attempted to block them. She constantly shifted where she was attacking, moving up and down his body. Gil eventually grabbed a hold of her left arm during a punch and threw his right leg out at Renna. She managed to avoid it by moving to her right, but Gil then kicked his leg to her, hitting her in her side. Renna also held onto Gil's arm that was holding her and used this to spin around Gil.

She grabbed onto that same arm with her free hand and pulled herself forward so that she was heading for Gil's chest. She punched at his chest with her free arm, and Gil let go of her arm and grabbed her by her sides. He held her upside down and threw her straight up into the air. She flipped through the air, adjusting herself to face Gil. She rocketed to the ground with her legs out, and Gil stepped out of the way.

She touched the ground, sending many leaves up into the air. Gil spun around, looking to backhand Renna with his left hand. Instead, Renna bent backwards while extending her right leg out, kicking Gil at his left side while dodging his attack. He grabbed at the leg and pulled Renna towards himself. He raised his left knee up, catching her in the stomach.

With her legs still by Gil's body, Renna managed to lock them onto either side of his body, holding him between them. She then forced herself to the floor, pulling Gil with her. She let go and tried to throw Gil away. He managed to hold onto her left leg with his right hand so that he wouldn't roll away. He got up, pulled Renna towards himself and elbowed the leg he was pulling.

Renna kicked out with her right leg, striking Gil at his right shoulder, causing him to let go and fall onto his back. Renna jumped on top of him and put her legs on either of his sides, straddling him. She took her arms and thrust them downwards towards the ground. Gil caught these in each hand and held them there in the air. Renna smiled down at him while pushing down. They struggled on the ground for a while.

Uzume fidgeted slightly. "What… are they doing?"

"Why, Uzume, they're clearly in the middle of fighting!", answered Neptune.

"Yeah, I know… but like, Gil could push her off, or Renna could do… something."

"That might not be possible. Renna may have pinned Gil's legs down with her own.", spoke Dusty, coming to a believable conclusion.

"I suppose that's possible… But still… It looks weird."

Neptune smiled cheekily at Uzume. "Why do you think that, huh? You dirty Goddess, you…"

"N-Nepsy!" Uzume looked towards Dusty.

Dusty still had his face forward, but had turned his eyes to look at the two girls next to him. "You're a what now? You're not delusional, are you?"

Uzume looked fidgety as she glared at Neptune, who shrugged it off. "…N-No, far from it, in fact.", answered Uzume, noting the irony.

Neptune struck a dramatic pose. "Hah! Delusions! Fall into the whirlpool of-!"

Dusty raised an eyebrow. "What's she on about?"

"Don't worry about her, she has something wrong with her head."

"I wasn't the one having dirty thoughts about those twoooo!", teased Neptune, putting her tongue out and winking.

Uzume took a flustered face and tried to grab at Neptune, who moved out of the way. "Shut it, Nepsy! I was not!"

"So says the liiiiaaar!"

"I'm not lying!"

"If I were you, I'd stop messing around and start looking back to the fight.", said Dusty. They both looked at Dusty and then at each other. Neptune put her tongue out again, and Uzume furrowed her brows together while pouting. "I am intrigued by what you said earlier, though. Don't think I'll forget it, you two.", finished Dusty, who eyed them before looking to the fight.

"Way to go, Nepsy!", whispered Uzume.

"I can barely hear you over the rain!"

"I said "Way to go, Nepsy!""

"Oh, okay. Why?"

"Why the hell do you think?!"

"You mean with the whole slipping tongue thing?"

"Yeah!"

"It's not my fault!"

"How?! How is it not your fault?!"

"Ummm… It was the plot's fault!"

"Maybe you're just too high up in the clouds!"

"But I can't fly!"

Uzume facepalmed and turned to the fight. "You're such a damn goofball."

Neptune also turned back to the fight. "Thank you!"

Gil had managed to throw Renna off of himself, and they both stood up a distance away from each other. Neither of them moved for a moment. Renna then ran forward and looked like she was going to punch at Gil's face. Gil held his hands out to block the attack, but Renna feinted, pushing both of his arms down give herself an opening. She propelled herself towards Gil's face, rising up with her right knee. The attack caught Gil under his chin, making him fall backwards. But Renna wasn't done. She took hold of the sides of Gil's head and forced his body down, making him land on his back as Renna fell with her knee to his chest.

Gil grimaced in pain, but pushed Renna off of himself. She flipped over onto her legs, looking at Gil as he got up. Gil ran to Renna, who pulled her body back while kicking at Gil with the sole of her left foot. Gil spun around this attack and struck at the side of Renna's chest under her right arm with the side of his right fist. He followed up on this, leading it into an elbow strike to Renna's chest. Renna managed to soften the blow by holding onto his arm with both of hers, but it still impacted. She lifted her body up and locked her legs around Gil's right arm, falling to the ground and pinning him to it.

Gil tried to wrestle Renna off of his arm, but she kicked his left hand with her right leg and, in the same movement, got up and managed to pin Gil's right hand and left hand to the floor with her left hand and right leg respectively. She then put her right hand next to Gil's head and looked at him, smiling.

But Gil wasn't done. He shot his left knee towards Renna's right leg, catching her at the back of the knee. This caused her leg to give in, which lowered her down as well as freeing Gil's left hand. He grabbed at Renna's left arm with his left hand and pushed it off. Renna then stood onto Gil's right shoulder with her left leg, but Gil soon had a grip on that with both of his hands. He pushed upwards, causing Renna to lose her balance and fall backwards.

Gil got to his feet, grabbed Renna's outstretched left arm with his right hand and stepped forward. As he did so, he pulled Renna towards himself and rocketed his left fist towards her face. Renna, who was still falling, shot her right hand out to block the attack, but Gil stopped his attack midway and pulled his right arm to the left, which also pulled Renna's left arm across herself. This caused Renna to spin slightly, making it so that Renna had to look left to face Gil.

Gil maneuvered his left arm around Renna's neck and then pulled her towards his body so that Renna's back was to Gil's front. He still had a grip on her left arm with his right hand. With Renna's left hand pinned between her and Gil's body, Renna only had her right hand to defend herself. She reached backwards, looking to push Gil's chin up for some leverage, but Gil moved his head out of the way and managed to grab at her upper arm with his left hand, holding it in place.

Renna managed to bring her right leg behind Gil's and hit at his knee so that they both fell to the ground, although Gil kept them both up with his left leg. She leaned backwards, trying to get Gil to fall over. The very wet conditions had caused some puddles to build up. Unfortunately for Gil, his left leg had been planted in the middle of one. When he tried to resist Renna's pushing, he pushed forward. This caused him to slip, which caused them to fall backwards.

That was Renna's intention, but not like this.

They both fell to the floor quickly, and Renna felt her head rock back and meet Gil's head. Gil's head had hit the ground and was then immediately hit by the back of Renna's head. Renna felt the grip on her go limp, and she managed to get to her feet and turn around. Her face became worried. "You… You alright, Gilly?" She brought her arms to her chest while bending down at Gil.

Gil felt his forehead with his right hand. "Yeah… I'm fine."

Renna still looked worried. Her eyebrows angled upwards, and she looked sad. "No, seriously, Gilly… Are you okay?"

Gil rose to his feet, shook his head from side to side, and looked at Renna with thoughtful eyes. "Yes, Renna. I'm fine."

After a moment of consideration, Renna returned to her happy face, although her eyebrows showed that she felt guilty.

Neptune looked at them with slight concern. "Wha-wha-wha-wha-what happened?!"

"I didn't see exactly what happened, but Renna looks worried.", answered Uzume.

"Renna headbutted Gil while he had her in a hold. I don't think that it was intentional though.", answered Dusty.

"A… headbutt?!", said Neptune. "Wouldn't that hurt?"

"It would. For the both of them."

"It did look like Gil slipped there… I hope it wasn't intentional, since this is just a practice fight…", said Uzume.

"I doubt that she would've intentionally done that.", said Dusty, looking at the two girls next to him. He eyed Neptune particularly. "And remember, no outside interference."

Neptune crossed her arms. "I-I know… Not that I planned to do that, obviously."

"Uh-huh.", commented Uzume, in a sarcastic tone. "You? Not get involved? What happened to the stalker in you?"

"S-Shush, you." Neptune was uncharacteristically embarrassed.

Uzume looked t the siblings with a smile. "Hey! What's goin' on over there?"

"Nothing! Everything's fine over here!", answered Renna.

"Maybe you two should stop there?", said Neptune.

Renna looked at Neptune, and then at Gil. "Yeah, maybe.", Renna muttered to herself.

"Renna?", asked Gil.

"Just wondering if you wanted to stop for now. We could keep going, if you want."

Gil turned his eyes upward, looking to the edges of the dark clouds to see if there was any semblance of sunlight. There was not. "I don't know what the time is, but it's probably in the afternoon. I think it's fine if we go now."

"And we wouldn't want to get sick!"

Gil smiled at this. "Exactly." They unsummoned their weapons and turned to face the other three.

"Yup, we're done for now.", said Renna, as they walked.

Uzume threw their umbrella out. "Catch."

Renna caught it and held it out for Gil. He took it and held it above them after spreading it out. Renna held her hands behind herself. "So what'd you thiiiink?"

The three onlookers quietly thought about what to say for a moment.

"I mean, you two are really good at close combat. The way you use your bodies, using every movement to the fullest is really cool.", started Uzume. "Like, when you make a move, there's always a follow up." Uzume looked at Gil. "I remember the one move you made, Gilsy. You hit Renna at the side of her chest with the side of your fist and you used the same motion to hit her with your elbow. That looked sick!" Uzume was smiling enthusiastically with her hands partly raised up in fists.

Neptune half lidded her eyes at Uzume while raising an eyebrow. Uzume saw this and became embarrassed, rubbing at her left elbow while looking away. "I just thought it was cool, geez."

Neptune nudged Uzume with her elbow. "That wasn't the only thing that caught your attention, apparently. Hey, hey?"

"Drop it!", reacted Uzume.

Renna quickly looked towards the redhead. "…What else caught your attention, Uzume?"

It looked like Uzume's face changed to match her hair colour as her body shot up straight. She tried waving it off. "N-Nothing… Nothing. Nothing."

Renna raised an eyebrow at this, cocking her head to the side. "Nothing? Doesn't seem like it…"

"It wasn't important! Nepsy just made a stupid joke, that's all!"

"I'd rather you'd leave it at that.", said Dusty. Renna looked up at him, holding a confused face.

"It was a spectacular fight.", started Dusty. "I hadn't anticipated for you two to be so well versed in combat. And with nothing but your bodies, excluding the armaments."

"Hah, that joke again!", exclaimed Neptune.

"You made that same joke last time Nepsy, it's over now."

Neptune held out three fingers. "The key to comedy is repetition! Normally in threes."

"…Moving back on track, the gauntlets seem to be as sturdy as they should be. They came into contact with another set of weapons of the same material and they held out fine."

Gil nodded. "They did. No problems with them."

"Hm. Good. A testament to their quality!" Dusty hit his chest with his hand as if to congratulate himself. He stopped his smiling and returned to his cross armed stance. He looked at Renna and Gil again. "Where did you two learn to fight like that?"

Renna seemed surprised at the question, and looked around while trying to come up with something. "…We were taught a long time ago.", said Gil, looking to his right.

"A long time ago, huh? By who?"

Gil looked to Renna. "By our parents.", stated Renna. Although she was smiling, she looked sad.

"Your parents? From a very young age, I presume?"

"Yes… They taught us how to fight, but they were realistic with how they did so, since we were… much younger. They cemented it in us, and more."

"…And magic.", added Gil.

"And magic. They taught us how to harness our affinities."

Dusty shifted his stance. "So you were taught by your parents, then?"

"Was there anybody else?", asked Uzume.

"There was one man… He taught us after our parents…" Renna stopped herself.

Dusty saw this and slightly narrowed his eyes.

"…We were out in the wilderness for a long time with no home. He took us in. And he taught us more.", said Gil.

"But enough reminiscing!", said Renna. "Anything else, Dusty?"

Dusty looked at her and frowned for a moment. He then sighed. "No. Nothing else."

"Alright. And you, Neptune?"

Neptune, seemingly brought back from daydreaming, looked around for a second before answering. "I think that you two were super cool! Just the way you put your bodies into it, the attacks that you did do, and all that technical stuffs! Awesome-sauce-ome! But geez, Renny, you really are good with your feet! And you, Gilly, are really good with your hands." Renna narrowed her eyes ever so slightly and smiled at Neptune brightly.

"And… that's all, I think.", said Uzume, who brushed her left hand through her hair. "We should probably get goin' dontcha think?"

"That's a good idea.", said Dusty.

Neptune raised her right arm and started marching away. "Then let's-a go!"

The group all moved together, travelling back down the path. Dusty, again, took up the rear of the pack. Renna and Gil walked at the front again, and Neptune and Uzume took their positions in the middle. Dusty seemed to be thinking about something, looking to the ground while then looked up, frowned, and called out. "Stop, all of you."

"What's up?", asked Uzume.

Dusty took a deep breath in and out, keeping his frown. "I'm sure you all know what I've offered Renna, and all of you as well. For the remainder of your stay here in Lowee, come to my house. You are all free to live there as you like and come and go as you please. I trust that you are all aware of your current… situation?"

Renna nodded slowly. "We've told them."

"Good. That makes this easier. You all know of that boy. He's vile. He wants your weaponry, and he wants more than that." Nobody else spoke, letting Dusty continue. "And he can cause a mess. I've seen him make problems over smaller matters. He's not so kind as to let you all go free without at least attempting to get what he wants."

"We know. He approached us in an alleyway when we left your shop yesterday.", informed Renna.

"Let me guess, he had his henchmen block both sides?"

"Yes."

"Even more reason to take my offer. He's already started to make moves. And you don't want that to get worse."

"How can we be sure that your house is safer, though?", asked Neptune.

"They wouldn't know that you've moved there. Or at least, not immediately. It'll buy you a day at the very least."

"That's not a lot of time…"

"I know. But I have security measures in my house, while a hotel does not. Whether it be fences, alarms, or heavy duty locks, it would be safer to come with me."

Uzume crossed her arms. "He… does have a point."

"I'm glad you see my point."

The four others looked like they were considering it for some time. They came together and stood in a square. They were talking about it, with all of them having a time to share their thoughts. After some time, Renna nodded at Dusty and walked towards him. "We'll stay at your house, but you'll have to give us some time. Tomorrow, we'll be there. I still have your address."

"Tomorrow might be too late."

"We need time to pack, and we need to talk to the lady in charge of the hotel."

Dusty narrowed his eyes again, then sighed. "Fine. But be quick about it. Stop by my shop tomorrow, then I'll direct you from there."

"Okay.", said Renna. She looked behind her and nodded at the other three. "Tomorrow it is." She turned back to Dusty and smiled at him. "Thanks, Dusty. For looking out for us."

"Hmph. Let's continue."

They all continued walking down the path. The rain was still coming down as it had hours ago. And still, no sunlight. There were wet, orange leaves littering the side of the path and scattered about the main part of it. They looked dark orange due to the dampness. Nobody seemed to mind, though. They walked for quite a while, nearing the end of the path.

"Quite the fight you had there, huh?", came a voice.

Everyone stopped, looking around. Dusty instantly frowned, looking between the trees. He recognized that voice. As did Renna, and Uzume.

"Come out, Faust.", called out Dusty.

From the left side of the path walked Faust through the trees. He had a green zip up hoodie on him that covered his head, and his hands were in two pockets at the bottom of the hoodie. But his face could still be seen, along with his smile. "You got me, you got me." Four more people walked from out of the trees, and each of them had brown hoodies. "Oh, and them, too."

Uzume stomped to the front of the group. "What the hell do you want?"

Faust shrugged nonchalantly. "You already know, Uzume."

Uzume took an angrier face, furrowing her brows while slightly opening her mouth. Renna walked next to her and put a hand on her right shoulder. Uzume looked at her, and then to Faust.

"We've already told you, you won't get what you want.", said Renna, taking her hand off of Uzume.

Faust kept smiling at the pair before turning his attention to Dusty. He walked forward a bit, getting closer and separating from his group, although they followed him. "So, old man. Seems that they truly are "valued customers,", huh?" Faust looked slightly angry.

"Yes. I was just here to see how well my creations performed."

"I know, I also saw that. Trees provide a ton of cover, ya know? But anyway, they do perform well." Faust turned his head to Gil. "Hey, do you think that they'd fit me? You're the brother, right?"

Gil lowered his head slightly, looking at Faust with angled eyebrows. Faust sauntered closer, taking his sweet time while walking forward. "You're the one that's surrounded by these three ladies. How lucky." Gil didn't talk, only watched "And you? With the purple hair? Quite the looker."

Neptune dramatically covered herself with her arms, but quickly dropped it. She waved her hands at Faust. "Thanks, but no thanks, pal."

"I heard you were quite unique with the way you acted, and I can see you live up to it."

"Geez, and you call me the stalker.", said Neptune, who had walked up next to Uzume, nudging at her left side. "Take a look at this guy!"

"Hmph. I have my ways.", said Faust, simply. Each party stood like this for a while, listening to nothing but the rain fall. "But you know what I want." Faust started walking forwards again. Uzume, Neptune and Renna watched him as he got closer, eyeing his movements and his pockets. He had reached for something last time, but Uzume and Renna didn't see what it was. His lackeys had gotten closer as well, although not nearly as close as Faust was. He was still smiling. "I want your weapons. Your two swords and your boots. Not even sure that they'd fit me, but I don't care. And those gauntlets of yours, you. You don't like to talk, do you?"

"Not to you.", said Gil.

"I don't really think you have a choice." Faust lost his smile. He took his hand out of his pockets, exposing his gloved hands to his open palms. "See? Nothing in my hands." He was closer, just in front of Uzume. "Your group is just stock filled with unique looking people, isn't it?" He looked to Renna and stuck his left hand out.

He found that his hand was caught midair, and looked to see Dusty grabbing it with his right hand. "Watch it, boy. Or I'll deal with you myself."

"Watch it, Dusto.", said Faust, who had a knife to Dusty's body. "I always have something up my sleeve."

"You're not funny, boy."

"Neither is this knife."

Dusty looked at the knife, and then to Faust. He let go of Faust's hand, pushing it back.

"Where were we… Right. What I want.", said Faust, returning to his smile.

"You mean what you won't get?", said Uzume.

"Even under all this rain, you're still a hothead."

"As if you know me."

"Better than you think."

"Stop it.", said Neptune. "You're not gonna come here on a nice day and ruin it for us like this!"

Faust turned his head to Neptune, looking about her hair and her face, resting on her eyes. "It doesn't have to be ruined. You like happy things, right?"

Neptune blinked at him. "Yes, I do! And you're a person that takes that away! Gilly here just got those gauntlets, and you want to steal them!"

Faust looked intrigued at what was just said. "He just got them? Is that right?" Faust eyed Gil before looking back at Neptune.

"Yes.", said Neptune, with a pout. "They were a gift from Renny. So you can't take it away."

"Oh, a gift, is it? Makes them all the more precious."

"It does, but not for you."

"You sure know how to drag out a conversation, boy. If you have nothing else to say or do, leave. Now.", threatened Dusty.

Faust smiled at Dusty, and then looked at Renna, taking a more serious face. "This is your last chance. I'd hate to have to hurt any of you, so why not make this easier for all of you?"

Renna looked up at him. "It's a no, Faust. Go away."

Faust closed his eyes slowly, then looked at Gil. "Hey, silent film. You don't want to see your sister here get hurt, right? You'd not want that, right?"

Gil stepped forward and partially in front of Renna. "I will make it so that it does not happen."

"And what if I were to make it so that it happened anyway?"

"I wouldn't allow that."

"That's not what I asked."

"I know."

The two stared at each other for a moment.

"Things don't always go as planned, you.", stated Faust.

"I'm well aware."

Faust's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh really?"

With a knife in his right hand, Faust was rushing it at Gil's stomach.

"Gilly!", called out Renna and Neptune.

"Gilsy!", called out Uzume, who saw it coming.

Gil dropped the umbrella. He grabbed Faust's right hand with his left one, and in his right hand he summoned his greatsword, with the tip of it resting under Faust's chin. Gil's eyes were also wide, and his mouth was tight. Faust and Gil stared at each other, not making any other moves. Faust pulled his hand back, and Gil let it go. Gil then unsummoned his greatsword.

Faust flipped the knife around and slipped it into his right pocket with a smug smile. "I wasn't going to actually commit to that. I just wanted to see what would happen."

"Sure, sure, tough guy. Keep on walkin'!", said Neptune.

Faust smiled at this and backed away. "Just letting you know, this was a wasted opportunity for you all."

Gil kept looking at Faust as he and his group walked away, eventually turning around and walking out of sight. He bent down and picked up the umbrella that he had dropped. He turned to see Renna sharing an umbrella with Neptune. He walked towards them, and Renna joined him under their umbrella.

Uzume looked at Gil with a worried face. "That was fricken dangerous, Gilsy! You could've… died!"

"I could've."

"And yet here you are, treating it like it's nothing! What is up with you?!" Uzume lightly hit Gil's chest with her hand.

Gil looked down. "Sorry."

He suddenly felt two arms coil around him, and he knew that it was Renna. "I was worried, Gilly. You didn't have to do that for me."

"I know you could've handled it."

"That's not what I'm saying! That was really scary for a second!"

"I… apologize."

"I appreciate it though. I'm not saying that you did something bad. I'm just saying that I was worried." Gil turned around to face Renna, and smiled down at her.

"It was pretty intense. It could've been like how it is in those series where one of the main characters suddenly get the boot!", said Neptune.

Uzume shook her head. "You seriously do not stop, Nepsy…"

"It's part of my charm!", winked Neptune, who then turned back to Gil. "That was really cool of you, Gilly. I'm sure everyone else thinks so as well. Especially Uzume over there."

"H-Hey!"

"I thought that it was really heroic of you.", added Renna, smiling brightly at Gil.

"Such a brave, brave boy.", teased Neptune.

Gil smiled between the three of them, and then looked to Dusty. Dusty looked at him with narrowed eyes and then nodded at him. "You handled that well, boy. Didn't go too far, but made it known that you'd drop him if you had to. A cool head and a calm disposition. Would've handled it like that myself." Gil looked at Dusty with a surprised face, and then nodded at him in understanding.

"Wowee, even got ol' Dusto here to give you a compliment! That's gotta count for a lotta points!", exclaimed Neptune.

"Don't call me that, girl."

"Sorry, sorry… But back to reporter Uzumoe! What's your opinion on the heroic act done by local hero… Gil?" Neptune pulled out an imaginary microphone and held it to Uzume's mouth.

Uzume pulled her head back, trying to avoid Neptune's imaginary microphone. "N-Nepsy… Stop it…" She moved her head from left to right as Neptune pushed on.

"No, Uzume, you're an eye witness! So you have to give your report!"

"I took Neptune for a joker.", said Dusty, nodding to himself.

"She's usually like this.", added Gil.

Uzume eventually relinquished herself to Neptune's interrogation, looking at her from the corner of her eye. "Well… Yeah, I thought it was cool…" Neptune still held the imaginary microphone out and shook it, egging Uzume on. "W-What, can't I think something's cool anymore?"

"Not in this day and age! People might think that you have a crush on Gil. Is this true? How long have you had it? When's the wedding?"

"Ugh, shut up, Neptune. You're always so weird." Uzume decided to lightly push Neptune away.

Renna eyed Neptune. "Yeah… You're very weird…"

"Tee-hee!", said Neptune, bonking herself on the head.

"Can we just get going?", asked Uzume.

"Can we?", asked Dusty, looking down the path to make sure that nobody was around it.

Neptune put away her imaginary microphone. "Sure, sure."

They all walked down the path. They were close to the city, and could see the roads. They walked through the rain, crossing streets and moving under cover. It was still as wet as ever. In little over half an hour, the group was at Dusty's shop.

Neptune dramatically placed a hand to her chest. "Alas, this is where we part ways, Sir Dusty…"

"Thank you for coming with us, Dusty.", said Renna. "I hope you enjoyed the show."

"I did. It was my pleasure." Renna smiled at him. "And please, do hurry up. I'd still encourage you all to move to my house tonight, if possible."

"We'll be as quick as possible tomorrow morning, Dusty. You can be sure of that!", said Renna.

"I hope so."

Renna looked to the other three, and then back at Dusty. "Well, goodbye Dusty! See you tomorrow!"

Uzume saluted. "See ya, Dusty."

"Fare thee well!", waved Neptune.

Just before Gil said goodbye, Dusty grabbed his right arm. Gil looked up at him. The three girls were a small distance away, and all turned to face what was happening. "You be sure to protect your sister, Gil.", said Dusty, in a low, serious voice. "I don't know what Faust has planned, but you might need to take action like you did earlier, in the worst case."

Gil looked at Dusty, and took a determined face. "I am prepared to do so. I will make sure that she's taken care of. I will make it so."

Dusty looked at him some more, then released him. "That's good. And don't be afraid to come to me if you need help with that."

"I will keep that in mind.", said Gil, briefly giving the blacksmith a small smile. "Goodbye, Dusty."

"Goodbye, Gil."

The group of four regrouped, turned around, and headed back to the hotel.

"What was that about, Gilly?", asked Renna, as they were walking.

"Nothing to worry about. He just asked me to protect you."

Renna gave an amused huff, and then pat her right hand to Gil's shoulder. "That's nice of him. But it's not like you'd need to be told that. We protect each other, after all."

"All of us!", exclaimed Neptune, out of nowhere.

"We got each other's backs.", finished Uzume.

Gil smiled to himself, and they all kept walking towards the hotel, where they spent the rest of the day relaxing, talking, admiring Gil's new weapons…

And playing games, of course.

* * *

**The next day:**

It was still raining. Gil, still under the cover of his blanket, could hear it hitting the roof. Was it harder than yesterday? It seemed like it. But maybe it'd die down like it had yesterday. He stretched his arms while still lying down and then brought his arms out from the protection of the warm cover. Gil slowly rose up from his lying down position, breathing in as he did so. He looked around himself, his eyes already acclimated to the low light room. He looked across the room and saw three other mattresses, each with a blanket on them.

He could see Neptune in her own bed, sleeping away while her hair ran wild. Maybe she moved around a lot in her sleep? He looked around some more, looking at the two other beds. The two empty beds. Gil blinked a few times at this and rubbed at his eyes. He slowly got up and went to inspect the beds. If Gil remembered correctly, Uzume did sometimes go out for early morning runs. Renna had accompanied Uzume on her last one, so maybe they would start going together from now on?

If that was the case, Gil was happy. If Renna enjoyed it, which she clearly did, then Gil was happy. And it'd mean that they'd keep in shape. Not that Gil thought either of them were out of shape or that they'd need regular exercise. Goddesses were innately strong, after all.

But Neptune…?

Gil looked to her, still fast asleep. She looked to be… fit. She was fit. She could run, jump, attack, stretch, and move really fast when she wanted to. Perhaps Neptune would want to start exercising more. Gil doubted that she'd ever wake up so early, though. Or maybe he was wrong? Maybe she'd also start going for early morning runs? Then Gil would always wake up alone. Or he'd have to go with them. He didn't mind, either way.

Gil stood up and walked over to the sliding door. They'd probably have left a note like last time. He slid the door open quietly and let the natural light come in. It wasn't very bright, seeing as the sun was still covered by its own cloudy blanket. He looked back at the bedroom, seeing it clearer now that more light shone into it. There was no note on either side of the door. Somewhere else, then.

He walked to the kotatsu, looking at the top of it. There was no note present there, either. They wouldn't have hid something this important. He moved to the kitchen, looking at the counters, the cupboards, the outside of the fridge and inside of the fridge. Nothing. As he walked back into the lounge area, he glanced towards the bathroom door. Nothing. Strange. Wait, of course…

Gil looked across the lounge towards the door leading out of their hotel room. Planted on the door was a white note with writing on it. Of course. He had gotten worried. He walked over to the door, looking at the note. He pulled it off of the wall. This was a proper note, bigger than a sticky note. And so, Gil started reading.

_To the remaining two residents of this room…_

_Hey. It's me. _

_I told you, yesterday was your last chance. __But none of you listened. __Not the old man, not the redhead, and not the sister. __And neither of you two, either. __So now things have to get messy. __I did warn you. Don't say I didn't. __Because I told you._

_I always get what I want._

_So now they pay the price. __I've taken them both with me as a sort of punishment. __If you try hard enough, maybe you'd be able to figure out where we are. __I'd hurry up though. I'd be very quick, if I were either of you. __And I'd be prepared. __Because, like I said… __They're both quite unique._

_Regards._

_You know who._

Renna and Uzume… They were gone… Kidnapped. By that… man… Gil looked at the letter after he had finished reading it.

He was wide eyed, and he was suddenly very, very alert.

And very, very angry.

What was it that Uzume had said? Something about how if it rains, it's usually a sign that a day's going to be bad?

And she was right.

Today was a bad day.

A very, very bad day.

* * *

…**Yeah.**

**A very, very bad day. ****We'll see where this takes us…**

**But yeah, what'd you think of it? The fight scene at the beginning? All of the group talking together? All the funny stuff? The group's confrontation with Faust and his group? ****And, of course, the ending?**

**Let me know what you think, and if you're excited to see where this is going. ****Because I sure am! And I hope you are, too! ****Because things will happen… Trust me.**

**But anyway, don't be afraid to share a review! I'll be happy to answer any of your questions as best as I can, or just respond in general!**

**I sincerely hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! I hope the fight was fluid, and that the characters seemed natural and good.**

**So yeah.**

**That's all, this time!**

**Goodbye for now!**


	25. Rule of Three

**Hello! It's me again! Happy New Years, even though it's a bit late.**

**You all know what's about to happen. So I won't keep you waiting.**

**Maybe kinda sorta prepare yourself? Maybe?**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 24:**

"Mmmmm…. Mmmmm…" Neptune had just woken up from her sleep. She had felt… something nudge at her. It was early in the morning, she knew it. Man, she could never ever wake up late, could she?! She opened her eyes and looked at the bedroom wall. "Let me… sleeeeep…" She felt something nudge at her back, and she groaned in response. "Whatsa… time?" She still faced away from the disturbance.

"After seven.", came a voice. Neptune recognized it as Gil's voice. It wasn't a cheerful voice, but Gil wasn't that type.

"Hmmm… Gilly, let me sleep in… It's still so eeeearlyyyy…"

There was no response. Huh…

Did it work?!

Gil nudged her some more. "I can't do that, Neptune."

"I don't wanna!" Neptune who her face to her pillow, lying on her stomach.

"If you don't get up, I will pick you up."

Oooooh, how forward. "Hmmm… Maybe. Do that, I'm lazy. Maybe do it bridal sty-" Neptune lifted her head up and looked towards Gil.

She saw him bent over with his left knee to the floor. He had his right leg up, resting his right hand on its knee. He was looking at Neptune. It was… intense, to say the least. His eyes were… wide, alert. And his face was… strained? Angry, maybe? He definitely did not look happy. The exact opposite, Neptune thought.

Neptune shuffled herself around to lean on her elbows. She looked at Gil with a more concerned face and wiped her eyes with her left hand. "What's wrong, Gilly?"

Gil didn't respond immediately. He continued to stare at Neptune, almost glaring at her. "Renna and Uzume were taken by Faust."

This news didn't immediately register with Neptune. "Huh?"

Gil suddenly hit the floor with his right hand and revealed his teeth a bit. "They were kidnapped!", said Gil, with more aggression. He wasn't shouting, but Neptune could hear the anger in his voice.

Neptune took a more cautious face. "Woah, woah, calm down there, Gilly." Gil looked at her for a moment, then took a few deep breaths in and out. "B-But... what?! They were kidnapped?", said Neptune, now more aware of the situation.

"I need you to get up and get ready, we need to move soon." Neptune shifted her position, now sitting on both of her knees. The blanket had fallen off of her back. Gil got up and walked to the door. He slid it open and turned to Neptune. "We need to go, soon." Neptune continued to sit in her position, thinking about what she was just told. "Neptune, you need to get up."

Neptune looked to him, and could see that he looked stressed. "I'll… get ready now." Neptune lifted herself off the floor. She opened her inventory and looked for her clothes.

Before getting undressed, she looked at Gil and smiled. "Butcha need to close the door first, Gilsy."

Gil blinked at her a few times, looking down at the floor. "Sorry..." He realized that he did sound... aggressive. Gil backed out of the room and slid the door shut.

Neptune, now alone, stopped smiling. She got her clothes out, and started to get changed.

Neptune made a worried smile to herself. "This is… really something to wake up to, I suppose. Geez…"

Neptune promptly got undressed and dressed before she made her way out of the bedroom. She slid the door open with a smile, looking around. She saw Gil waiting near the door. He stood in a cross armed position and looked to Neptune. "We need to move." He reached for the door.

Neptune quickly moved to him and grabbed his outstretched arm. "Wait, Gilly!"

Gil was still wide eyed. "Wait?! Why?! We need to move, Neptune!"

"Don't you think you should do some 'splainin first?"

"...I can do that as we go."

"But we also need to eat! We'll need that if we're gonna go get them back!"

Gil considered this for a moment. Neptune then placed her other hand on his arm and held it, looking at him with a caring smile. "It'll be alright, Gilly. Don't worry."

Gil looked to her. He angled his eyebrows upwards, and looked to the floor. He retracted his arm slowly, and Neptune let it go. They both stood there, unmoving. "...Sorry. For being... aggressive."

"Hey, it's not a problem. Just haven't seen you get all worked up like this before. If anything, it shows how bad you want to get going! All the passion and stuff." Neptune was glad to have calmed Gil down, at least a bit.

Gil then quickly moved to the kitchen and prepared two bowls of cereal in a very short space of time. He placed one on the counter, with a spoon, and started eating his own. Neptune sighed and then moved to the counter. She leaned on it, looking at Gil while eating her food. Gil finished quickly and placed it in the sink. He then prepared two glasses of water, placing one by Neptune. He drank his quickly.

"Thanks!" Neptune noticed that he was still holding his apprehensive face. It wasn't… impatient, but it was certainly eager. Almost like he was set to do a marathon, no, a triathlon right now. Could he do a triathlon? That's, like, three separate types of getting around, and Neptune hadn't seen Gil cycle or swim. He could run, sure, but they were all different.

He probably could. He looked alright. Ya know, all fit and stuff. He wasn't one of those super massive guys, but you could see that he had muscle. Nicely toned muscles that were juuust-

"Neptune. You look like you're spacing out. Hurry up… please."

Neptune, taken out from her train of thought, realized that she had food to eat. And something preeetty serious to take care of. "Right, sorry about that. Just thinking about stuff." Gil looked at her, then to the floor. "Donezo!" Neptune swiftly placed the dishes in the sink.

Gil nodded and was already walking to the door. Neptune rushed up to him and stood in front of him. "Hey, hey, hey!" Neptune stopped smiling, and looked rather serious. Gil looked at her questionably. She softened her face and then smiled at Gil. "They'll be alright, okay? We'll find them, and we'll get them back.", said Neptune, in a soothing voice.

Gil looked at her, and then gave an ever so small smile. He walked past Neptune, who followed him through the door. "I know. I will make it so."

Neptune leaned over with a teasing face. "WE'LL make it so, you mean?"

Gil nodded at her, then slid the door shut. They were quickly outside the hotel, protected from the rain, looking out to it.

"What're we gonna do about this…", questioned Neptune.

"You don't have any umbrellas?"

"Nope. Uzume has them all." Gil sighed, then looked around. "We can… We can go to a shop and buy some.", suggested Neptune.

"That'll take too long. We have to move quickly, and I'm not even sure umbrellas would be good for that."

"Hoodies, then!" Neptune, for once, put her hood up. The long, back parts of her hair were not visible anymore, as she had tucked them into the hoodie. Gil looked at her, down, then back up. "What?", asked Neptune.

"Nothing. We need to go."

"Where to?"

"Dusty's shop."

"Ah, I get it. Since he's known about Faust for a while, he might know where he'd go."

"I hope he does."

They moved into the rain, running through it.

"Ya feelin' alright, Gilly?"

"Yes."

They moved through the streets, dodging pedestrians and crossing the streets quickly. They avoided any major puddles, although Neptune did jump in a few of them. They passed the restaurant they had yesterday. Neptune glanced inside, seeing that there were a few people in there.

Even with the rain coming down harder than it did yesterday, people were still out and about, huh?

* * *

**A few minutes later:**

"There.", said Gil, looking ahead.

"Yup I see it. I… think it's open."

Neptune and Gil had made good time, and were just outside Dusty's shop. They walked up to it and were in front of the door. Neptune threw her hood back, and pulled the back part of her hair up into its normal position. "And… Open!" Neptune struck a pose at the door. Gil slid it open, and quickly walked through. He frantically took his shoes off, rushing into the shop.

"G-Gilly, wait!"

Gil quickly looked into the shop as he walked through hit and could see that there were a few people at the counter. Dusty glanced towards them and shifted in his seat. He gestured his arm out as if to say "Give me a few minutes." Gil stood in the shop and huffed. He crossed his arms and stood by a wall on the left.

Neptune moved to him and gave him a pouty look. "You coulda waited, ya know."

"Sorry."

Neptune kept pouting at him and crossed her arms in a huff. She eventually relinquished this stance and stood on Gil's right. They were both up against a wall, and Neptune rested her head against it. She looked to her left, to Gil. "What happened?"

"I woke up and saw that Renna and Uzume weren't around, so I went looking for a note. I found one stuck to the door to our room. It was written by Faust."

"And what'd it say?",

"It said… that yesterday was the last chance he gave us. So he… kidnapped them as "punishment,", he wrote." Gil was still wide eyed, gritting his teeth. "He said that we should hurry up, because… they're quite… unique." He had thought about that part. He'd thought about it a lot. It irritated him. Just thinking about that phrase, the way he wrote it, the way he said it…

It was infuriating beyond belief. "If they do anything…"

Neptune quickly jumped in front of Gil with her arms in an X-shape. "Nuh-uh! That won't happen! We won't let it happen! We're gonna get to 'em, we're gonna beat up the baddies, and we'll go home safely! And then to Dusty's home." Neptune finished by putting her hands into her pockets.

Gil looked at Neptune and seemed to calm down a bit. He closed his eyes and allowed his face to go soft for a brief moment before returning to his previous demeanor.

Neptune walked a bit closer to Gil and walked from left to right, looking at him with a smile. "How experienced are you when it comes to fighting people, Gilly?"

Gil looked up and pondered over this for some time. "I've fought against people before, and I'd say that Renna and I are both experienced in doing that. We know how to fight people."

"Okay, okay. Any… particular standout moments?"

Gil didn't speak for some time. "Not really."

"I see… You seemed to know what you were doing back with Renna, yesterday."

"We have practiced together a lot in the past."

"I figured as much. You two know how each other fight quite well, I'm guessing?"

"Yes."

"That's good. Teamwork, and all that fluff!", exclaimed Neptune, putting her arms into the air.

Gil could see Dusty raise an eyebrow at that before returning his attention to his customers. "And what about you?"

Neptune looked at him teasingly. "I thought you'd never ask! Geez, Gilly, you're getting used to me, huh?"

"It's just a question, Neptune."

"What, are you denying what I'm saying? Are we not close?! Even though we haven't known each other for years, or even months, I feel like there's a connection, ya know?!" Gil rolled his eyes at this. "With all of us, I mean."

"Sure."

"Yay!", said Neptune, walking towards Gil. "But back to the question…" Neptune stopped herself in her tracks and raised a finger to her mouth, thinking. "I haaaave, yessiroo."

"When?"

"I'd say… not super-duper long ago. Back when I was helping Uzume out with her… thing."

"With her other… With Kurome?"

"Yup. Then. I had to fight against some… people that were trying to stop me and Uzume. Many times. So yeah, I'd say that I have experience with people-fighting."

"That's good to know. We'll most likely be putting that experience to use today."

"Not unless we go in all stealthy like! All sneaky-sneaks…" Gil didn't respond to this. "Gilly, you know that it's going to be alright. If it makes you feel better, I'm pretty upset too!"

"I don't think you feeling bad would make me feel better."

"It's a figure of speech or… something! I'm saying that you're not the only one going through this, you know?"

"I know."

"So rely on me, man! Rest your weary head on my shoulders, tell me your worries and all that stuffy-wuffy."

Gil looked at her for a moment. She showed a determined face. She was smiling confidently with her hands at her hips. Her brows angled down, and her eyes were wide open. She seemed eager to get this done. "…Thanks, Neptune."

Neptune walked towards him and patted his right arm with her left hand. "But it seems like Dusty's done!" Neptune spun around and posed at the blacksmith.

Sure enough, Dusty was waiting for them. He sat on his chair with his arms resting on the counter while looking at Neptune and Gil with somewhat narrowed eyes. "Welcome."

"Heyo!", waved Neptune.

"Hello.", greeted Gil.

Dusty ushered them both over with his hands, and they both walked to the front of the counter.

"Coming to have your gauntlets checked up on? Have you broke them already? Not like that'd be easy to do."

"No, nothing like that. They're still in tip-top condition!", said Neptune.

"It's about something else.", said Gil.

"And what is it?"

Gil looked to Neptune, who looked back at Gil with a smile. He then looked to Dusty, holding his expression. "Renna and Uzume were kidnapped by Faust."

Dusty widened his eyes and slightly opened his mouth. He leaned back into his chair before leaning forward again, covering his mouth with his right hand as if he was thinking. "You're serious?" He looked angrier.

Neptune nodded slowly. "Yup."

Dusty sighed, briefly closing his eyes. "This is why I said you should've all come to my place last night." He threw his right arm up in a show of frustration. Gil looked down, closing his eyes while taking an angry face.

"But there's nothing that we can do now, Dusty.", said Neptune.

"I know. So what is it that you're here for?"

"We wanted to ask you if you might know where Faust would've taken them?"

Dusty tapped his fingers on the counter as if contemplating over what he should do. "If my… experience with them serves me right, I should know. It wouldn't be at their main hideout, although I know Faust has a few smaller places he likes to go to."

"You sure know a lot about these people…", muttered Neptune.

"Unfortunately. I'd rather they'd never have gotten involved with me."

"Can you give us the places locations?", asked Gil.

"I can. I'll write down their addresses and some directions. Some other things to help, too." Dusty rummaged under the counter and brought out some pieces of paper and a pen. He began to write down onto them rather quickly. "Either of you have a phone?"

"Nope.", answered Neptune.

"No.", answered Gil.

"Great. Then these directions will have to do." He continued to write for a few more minutes and eventually looked back up at Neptune and Gil. "You two had better be quick. Faust is a sick, sick thing."

"I… know. He said that in his letter.", said Gil.

"Do you have it with you?"

Gil looked to Neptune, who had stored the paper in her inventory. She pulled it out, and held it to Dusty. "There ya go."

Dusty took it and held it in his left hand. His eyes scoured through the paper, and he eventually looked at the two people in front of him, giving it back to Neptune. He then pushed the pieces of paper he had written on forward, and Neptune took them. "I hope that you all have transport, because they're not close."

"We… We don't…", said Gil. He closed his eyes tightly and grit his teeth, thinking.

Neptune gasped, holding her face with her hands."We do! Oh. My. GODDESS do we have transport!"

Gil looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Neptune smirked at Gil while holding her hand out. She then summoned her Nep-note and opened the pages. "Dusty, please don't be completely blown away by what you're about to see. Keep your socks on, ya hear?"

"Now why would I-"

A flash of light, and Croire appeared where the Nep-note was, hovering above it. "Geez, whatcha need me for now?"

"We need your help! Desperately!"

Meanwhile, Dusty was staring at the fairy with a surprised expression, his mouth slightly open. "What… What?"

Neptune looked up from Croire and looked to Dusty with a smile. "Dusty, this is Croire. Croire, Dusty."

Croire saluted. "Yo."

"She's a fairy! Ain't she the cutest!"

"Who ya callin' cute, you ditz!"

"How… do you have a fairy?", asked Dusty, still very much surprised.

"Well, a tome to be specific.", corrected Croire.

"She's my friend! I keep her in my Nep-note, and she helps us!"

"Huh, right. Maybe I should get out of this damn thing more…"

"A tome? I've heard that the Planeptunian Goddess has one of those, and yet you have one. You're not a CPU, are you?", asked Dusty, looking between Neptune and Croire.

"Nope! I captured her one day, and she's been my buddy ever since!"

"You really are a weirdo…", mumbled Croire.

"And she's our transport."

"How?", asked Dusty.

"She can do portal stuff, don't worry about it too much."

"You are all a strange bunch…"

Neptune smiled down at Croire. "Hey, Croire, we really do need your help this time. It's super-duper serious and stuff."

"What's happened now?"

"About that… The thing is…"

Gil walked next to Neptune and stared down at Croire. "Renna and Uzume have been kidnapped and we need you to transport us to different locations. Can you do that?" He was almost glaring down at the fairy.

Croire looked up at him with slightly surprised eyes, but steadied herself, blinking all the while.

"You can do that, right?", asked Neptune.

"Yeah, yeah, I can, alright. Just give me the locations, I'll need to sort out where the co-ordinates are." Neptune put her Nep-note away and held the pieces of paper up. "Gimme a moment…" Croire read through the different pieces of paper, looking through them all for a few minutes. "Gotcha. I can take ya to these places. There's six of 'em in total."

Neptune looked surprised. "Six?! Whaaaaat?! Isn't it supposed to be, like, in threes all the time?! And we always get it on the third one?! The rule of threeeees!"

"It doesn't always work out in such cliché ways, Neptune. You could still get it on the third try. Maybe."

"Or the first, you never know, huh? Maybe? Please?", pleaded Neptune, to nobody in particular.

"We need to get going. Take us to one of them.", said Gil.

"Alright, alright.", said Croire, and sure enough, a swirling mass of energy appeared near her. Dusty blinked at the situation in bewilderment.

Neptune smiled at Dusty. "Sorry about this. At least you saw something amazing today! And, uh… don't go telling people you saw this, okay?"

Dusty recomposed himself. "I'll be sure not to."

"Thanks a bunch! But we gotta go now, so… see ya!"

Dusty nodded. "Go get them back."

"We will. No matter what.", said Gil, turning to walk through the portal.

"Gil, wait.", called out Dusty. Gil turned to face him, and so did Neptune. "Be prepared."

Gil nodded to him and narrowed his eyes. "I will be. No matter what, I will get them back. I will make it so."

"Ooooh, all confident and stuff.", said Neptune.

Gil looked at her, and then to Dusty. "Goodbye, Dusty."

"See ya!", called out Neptune.

"Goodbye and good luck, both of you.", said Dusty.

And with that, Neptune, Gil and Croire moved through the portal which quickly closed behind them.

Dusty looked on for a moment and then sighed to himself. "I can see this getting messy… Really messy."

* * *

**First location:**

"Oooh, what's this place?" Neptune looked around, surveying the area. Seemed like it was more of a commercial district, but even more modern than the area close to the hotel. The buildings, although still holding the classic Loweean architecture, were a lot more sleek and refined.

"Should be right in front of us.", said Croire. Sure enough, in front of them was a large building. It was among a row of similar looking buildings, all with looks resembling warehouses. Large entrance, doors that would need to be pulled up, many windows present, fairly bland design, that kinda stuff.

Gil scoured the area. "There are no guards here."

"Ya think you can go look through those windows, Crostie?", asked Neptune.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Croire floated off towards one of the upper windows. She put her head to it, cupping her hands by the eyes. She returned holding a disappointed face."Nope. Nobody's inside, and there's nothing going on in there."

Gil looked to his right."Dammit…"

"At least we figured it out quickly! Now we can go to the second one without having wasted soooo much time, huh?", said Neptune.

"You always look at the bright side…", muttered Croire.

"I gotta! It's good to stay positive."

Gil then looked to Croire. "Next place."

"Yeah, yeah, I know.", said Croire, who then opened a portal. And, similar to before, all three of them moved through it.

* * *

**Second location:**

They arrived at the next location, looking around again. Seemed like it was a manufacturing district. Many small, factory like buildings lined the streets, and even now, what seemed like cargo trucks drove through the rain. They looked forward to a particularly large building. Larger than the surrounding ones, at least.

"This the one?", asked Gil.

"Uh-huh.", replied Croire.

"Then… Croire? Could you go all Metal Gear again? Sneaky, sneaky observation and stuff.", asked Neptune.

Croire rolled her eyebrows and flew upwards. She flew over the roof of it and came back a few moments later. "Nope. Nothing. The backside has no activity or nothin'. No working people or machinery."

Gil scoffed at this, looking to his right while doing so.

"Onto the next one! Let's see if the rule of three still holds…", said Neptune.

Croire narrowed her eyes. "I think your expectations are too high…"

And so, another portal was opened, and they all moved through it.

* * *

**Third location:**

"Come on, be the one, be the one!", pleaded Neptune, as they walked through. They had arrived at what seemed to be an older part of Lowee. The architecture definitely looked older. More… traditional, with lots of orange beams and bridges in the area. They could see all of this because the three of them were currently in a more elevated part, and so overlooked a part of the district.

Gil started looking around."Looks promising…"

"This must be it, it must be!", said Neptune.

"I'll go check it out.", said Croire, in an expectant, tired voice.

She flew towards the building in front of them. It stood out and was much taller than the other buildings, with many floors to it.

Neptune looked up to the sky, noting that the sun still hid behind the clouds. "She's taking longer than usual… could be a good sign!"

Just then, Croire returned. "Nope, not it."

"Dangit! After all this, not even that old rule came through for us!"

"Next.", said Gil. He still looked… less than happy.

"I'm gonna have to start chargin' you someday…", said Croire, opening up another portal. And through it they went…

* * *

**Fourth location:**

"I swear to Nep if this isn't the one… Ahh, maybe it's my luck stat! Did I equip something that lowers it?!", asked Neptune, looking through her inventory.

"You're ridiculous. Anyway, I'm gonna go check it out, as per usual…", said Croire, floating off.

The area seemed to be… a combination of commercial and industrial. There were shops and businesses about the area, and Neptune could see many taller buildings over the roofs of closer ones. Still not as tall as the skyscrapers in Lastation, though. These were much shorter and much less showy.

They were in an alleyway, and they looked to the building in front of them. It was a warehouse with a large entrance for vehicles to enter and a normal door to the right side of it, along with some stairs leading up to it.

Gil narrowed his eyes and could see that there were three people hanging around that area. One was leaning next to the door, one was sitting on the stairs, and one was just to the left of the stairs, on a lower level than the two other people. They were all under cover. Gil started walking forwards."I think this is it. I can see three people by the entrance. Could be guards."

Neptune moved to him and placed her palms to his chest, stopping him from moving. "Hold on there, Gilly boy! We gotta wait for Croire."

Gil looked at her, then stepped back a bit. He was tapping his right foot against the ground.

Croire came rushing back from the building. "This is it. There're some guards around this place, and there's people working inside. Machinery, weapons, all that stuff."

Neptune put her hands to her hips and looked annoyed. "Wow, nice going there, author person! Really subverted my expectations by making it so that it was the one AFTER the third location! Betcha think you're really smooth, huh?"

Gil looked at Croire. "Any signs of Renna and Uzume?"

"Nope. But this has gotta be it."

"Maybe she just missed them…?", suggested Neptune.

Croire floated besides Neptune. "Maybe, I dunno. Whatever, let's go already. And try to make this interestin', alright?"

Neptune nodded to herself. "It probably will be. No doubt 'bout that."

"Cool. Been a while since I've seen somethin' like that."

Gil didn't speak, and instead had his eyes locked on the door with three people around it. "Let me handle the talkin', alright, Gilly?", asked Neptune. "Let's see how far we can go inside without having to go all guns blazin'! That's how I play games, at least."

Gil nodded at her. "Alright."

The three emerged from the alleyway and walked through the street, approaching the entrance. They eventually got to the bottom of the stairs, and Neptune walked forward. "Man, it's really cold out here… You guys feeling alright?" Neptune gripped her sides as if she was shivering.

The two people by the stairs looked at Neptune quizzically. The one next to the door had a blue jacket on, and the one sitting on the stairs had a black hoodie over his shoulders. They both had black hair. The first one had green eyes, and the second one had light blue eyes.

"I mean, it's really cold and stuff out here in the rain.", continued Neptune. Gil stood a bit back, and Croire floated above the scene, out of sight while being close enough to see everything that was happening.

The man next to the door kept leaning against the wall. "Who're you and what do you want?"

Neptune pointed to herself. "Why, me? I'm just a passerby making some idle chatter! And staying out of the rain for a bit."

The man on the stairs played with his hands and lifted his head. "Yeah? Well can ya get outta here?"

"What's going on here?", spoke the third man, coming out from next to the stairs. He had an unzipped jacket, grey in colour. He had browny-blonde hair and hazel eyes. He saw Gil and looked him up and down. "What do you want?"

"I'm with her.", said Gil, simply.

The third man looked to Neptune and walked closer to her. "What's this, a lost girl? What're you doing here?"

Neptune looked at him pleadingly. "I'm just taking cover from the rain. Is… Is that a problem?"

The third man looked at the other two and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't really gotta problem with that. I don't mind at all."

"Oy, stop that. Don't be a pig.", called out the first man.

"What? I'm just helping the pretty lady out."

"Thanks a bunch, you guys…" Neptune looked back to Gil and waved him towards her. Gil walked towards her, and they both stood by the stairs.

The man by the stairs looked back at the floor. "You guys know what the boss has told us…"

The man by the door eyed Neptune and Gil suspiciously. "We're supposed to be wary of any suspicious people."

"What, me? Suspicious? Never in your life!", said Neptune.

"Hmph, sure. I'm going to have to ask you to leave.", said the man by the wall man, getting up from his leaning position.

"Whaaaaat?! You won't just let a lady wait under cover for a while?"

The man by the stairs looked up again. "You do know what this place is, don't you? You're not stupid, are you?"

Neptune looked around in mock surprise. "Oh, right, right, this place… this place… Oh shoot, it's this place!"

The doorman narrowed his eyes. "You must be slow…"

"Sorry to say this, girl, but… you do actually have to go. Totally forgot about what the big man said…", said the third man. "Doesn't mean that we have to part ways, though…" Neptune smiled at him.

"Why in the hell don't you have a jacket on?", asked the stairman, aimed at Gil.

"He put his umbrella away just before we got here.", said Neptune.

The stairman raised an eyebrow. "Is that right?"

"Yup!" Neptune moved closer to Gil, almost touching his right side. The third man eyed Neptune while walking towards her. Gil saw this and glared at him.

The third man looked offended. "What, you gotta problem?" Gil didn't speak while he kept looking at the man.

"They're starting anything?", asked the stairman, getting up and walking down the stairs.

"Nah, nah, just this guy here giving me the eye.", said the third man.

Neptune nudged at Gil's side. "Don't worry about him, he's just protective of me. Always been that way."

"Yeah? What, you two together or somethin'?", asked the third man.

Neptune quickly looked at Gil with a small smile, and then back to the man. "Yup! He's kinda my boyfriend." She moved even closer to Gil and wrapped her arms around his waist whilst snuggling into his right side while smiling. Gil, at first, was very, very, very surprised by this. He opened his mouth slightly and looked down at Neptune with a very confused and tensed up face.

Neptune simply looked back up at him for a moment and then snuggled into him again. Gil was feeling… very uncomfortable. Very, very uncomfortable. But... he knew what Neptune was doing. This was all an act to cover up for Gil. And to make it more believable. Gil knew this. He really did. But did that make his awkward feeling go away? Not… quite.

"See? Lovable guy, he just doesn't talk much.", explained Neptune.

The third man blinked a few times at Neptune, then looked back up to Gil, who was staring out into nowhere with a scowl. "Huh… Fair play, I guess." He rubbed the back of his head and walked towards the stairs.

Neptune pulled away from Gil, leaning against the wall on his right. "Sorry, Gilly. Had to come up with something." Gil took a deep breath in and out, nodding slowly while looking forward. "Made you feel uncomfortable, didn't I?"

"…Yes."

"Oooh, sorry about that…" Gil didn't reply. "You're gonna have to get used to it, though! I'm super clingy and stuff."

"Great."

"Yup, it is."

Gil, again, didn't reply. Neptune nudged at his right side, and Gil looked at her again. She smiled at him. "Just a test."

Gil narrowed his eyes at Neptune, then shook his head while returning his vision forward. "I know you've heard this a lot, but you're very strange."

"I have, and I know! Makes me super cute and lovable, huh? Don't ya think, Gilly?" Gil rolled his eyes at this.

"You two can leave now. You've been under the covers for long enough, so leave.", spoke the doorman.

"Awww, why? It's so cold, and wet, and mushy, and…", started Neptune.

"I don't care. Get outta here before we have to take drastic measures.", said the stairman man. He had returned to sitting on the stairs.

Neptune hung her head, then looked at Gil. "Bear with this a bit longer, alright?"

Gil raised an eyebrow and then saw that Neptune took his right hand with her left one and lead him towards the three people. He half-lidded his eyes but went along with her. The third man looked on with a slightly disappointed stare. The two others looked at Neptune and Gil with somewhat narrowed eyes.

"Well, the thing is, we actually do have business here.", said Neptune, as she walked to the bottom of the stairs. She still held onto Gil's hand while they stood close together.

The men all looked intrigued at this. "And what would that be?", asked the doorman.

"Why, we're here to make you people an offer! Or more like, join you all?" Neptune scratched her chin with her free hand.

"What? You do know what this is, right?", asked the doorman.

"Yeah, I already said I did! This is one of those gang hideouts, right?"

The men all looked around, shifting their stances. "And why would you want to join some organization like that, if you were right?", asked the doorman.

"Uhh, why not? I'd get to make the big bucks, have fun, and get away with what I wanted."

"Huh. Suppose that's what a lot of people join for.", said the third man. "But why now, when it's raining and not that great of a day?"

Neptune smirked at him. "Makes for good cover. Not so easy to be seen and tracked when the weather's like this. You see many people walking about?"

"I suppose you have a point…"

The doorman narrowed his eyes. "I never heard of any arrangement like this, and I'm pretty sure we would've."

Neptune scratched the back of her head. "We… didn't exactly schedule a meeting…"

The stairman looked up into the sky. "Hmph, so many people just expect to get in like this…"

"Can you blame us?"

The doorman nodded. "Yes, I can."

"At least let us show you what we have on offer!"

The men all considered this for a moment. They spoke amongst themselves, and after a moment, turned to Neptune and Gil. "Go on, tell us, then.", said the stairman, in a tired voice.

"Alright…", smiled Neptune, who looked to Gil. She let go of his hand and gestured at him as if showing him off. "This guy's super tough! He's really fast, strong, always alert of everything around him, and he's smart! He's really good protection, so he'd make an excellent bodyguard."

The third man crossed his arms. "Yeah, whatever. Maybe if we saw it."

"…He can show you if you want."

The doorman held his arm out to stop them. "We don't need that happening. And what about you?"

"Me? Little old me? Why, I'm super sneaky and such. I'm really good at getting in and out of places all quiet like, and I'm really reliable when it comes to gathering information."

The stairman rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure."

"You are? That's great to hear! I'm sure your boss would like to take us in. What was his name again… Faust?"

The three men all widened their eyes at this. They blinked in disbelief while looking around at each other. "How'd… How'd you know that?", asked the third man.

Neptune smiled smugly while looking at her nails. "Well, finding out about him ain't so hard. He's a big name after all, and a lot of people know of him. I guess the harder part was finding out that he was here, specifically, on this day, with you all here as his subordinates. Something about a… special delivery? Or two?"

The stairman raised his eyebrows in surprise "I don't think she was lyin' about being able to get information…"

"Wasn't even that hard, honestly."

The doorman looked between them. "And what're your names?"

Neptune cocked her head to the side before answering. "Oh, right, introductions and stuff. My name's... Mura!" Neptune pointed at Gil. "And his name's Saki."

The third man huffed while looking at Gil. "Ain't that a girl's name?"

Neptune pouted at them. "Heeeey, don't judge! Here, how's about I give you all name's for now, since I doubt that you'd spill 'em." The three men stood there as Neptune thought of names. She then raised a finger. "Here!" She pointed at the doorman. "Your name's gonna be Doa!" She then pointed at the stairman. "Yours will be Kaidan!" She pointed at the third man. "And yours is Shikamo! There, all set!"

All three men looked at Neptune wierdly, with the newly named Doa looking between Neptune and Gil as if assessing them. "Fine. We'll let you in. But don't wander off, and don't touch anything. We'll be your escort, and we'll lead you to where you need to go, but that's all."

"Alright!", exclaimed Neptune, who jumped at Gil with her arms out, wrapping them around his neck. Gil showed his displeasure on his face, and the newly named Kaidan even gave a huff of amusement. "Don't… do that…" Gil had to lower his head down so that Neptune still stood up.

"Why? You know you love me."

She let go of Gil and they both walked towards the stairs. All three men were at the top of it and were looking down at Neptune and Gil. Neptune held her hands out in front of her. "Lead the way!"

After a moment, Doa opened the door and looked at the pair. "Get inside."

Neptune and Gil walked up the stairs, passing the newly appointed Shikamo, then Kaidan. They walked past the door and entered through. After that, all three men walked inside and shut the door behind them.

* * *

**Inside the warehouse:**

"Wowza." Neptune looked up and around the inside of the building. There were some hanging lights across the roof, although it didn't brighten the entire place up. It was generally quite dark, but not so much that you couldn't see. Neptune saw Croire in her purple butterfly form flying across the ceiling. She would follow their path. The sound of machinery was present in echoes that emanated from the opposite side of the building. Sounded like metalwork.

"Move.", said Doa, who started to walk forward. They maneuvered through aisles of boxes, some of which were in small piles. Neptune could spot some weaponry such as guns, axes, swords, and other probably illegal stuff. "Pretty big place…" She saw that there was a set of stairs that lead up to a second floor.

They walked through an opening in the aisles, turning right into a wider area. There were many tables present here, some with computers and some with other equipment that would be found in a factory. Neptune and Gil could see a few conveyor belts off to their right some distance away. People seemed to be working away, picking up items and sorting them into piles, packing them into boxes and sending them off on the belt.

Neptune pointed at the belts. "What's that for?"

"Oh, that stuff? Contraband.", said Shikamo.

"How's about you don't give away the entire operation? They could be cops…", said Kaidan.

Neptune waved her hands in front of herself. "Oh no, no, we're not cops."

"That's what you say."

"I do!", replied Neptune, smiling.

"It doesn't matter. If they are…", started Doa, looking behind him. "…they're gonna die."

Neptune looked forward to the man, and blinked at him a few times. "Well I'm in no mood to bite the dust today!"

Doa faced forward. "Better hope you don't do anything wrong."

"I'll… make sure not to do anything like that."

The group turned to the left, heading in between stacks of boxes and equipment. They were closer to a wall. They sometimes passed other people, whether they were walking around, staying in an area, or working. And many times, Neptune and Gil had been stared at.

"Are we there yeeeet?", asked Neptune.

"Keep quiet.", said Doa.

"Yeah, yeah, almost there.", said Kaidan.

They walked close to the wall, heading to what seemed to be a small room.

"That's where we're going?", asked Neptune.

Shikamo nodded quickly. "Yeah. From there, we'll…"

Doa glared at him. "Shut up."

"Sorry…"

When they were about to reach the door leading into the room, Neptune spoke up. "Um, so… do you guys have a bathroom anywhere close to here?"

Everyone else stopped and looked at Neptune. "What?", asked Doa.

Kaidan looked on in disbelief. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"I'm serious. I really gotta go."

"I mean, there is one close by, but…", said Shikamo.

Doa glared at her. "Don't try anything. Don't think we'll let our guards down just because you need to "go to the bathroom.""

"Got it."

Doa continued to eye Neptune suspiciously before leading her slightly to the right of the room they were originally going to go to. They walked that way for a moment and then came across two doors. One had a sign reading "Male" and the other one had "Female." "Be quick about it."

Neptune saluted before walking into the woman's one. "Okie-dokie." Gil waited outside as the three other men looked at him. He looked back at them for a moment and then leaned next to the woman's door.

"So you know how to fight, huh?", asked Kaidan.

Gil looked at him slowly. "Yes."

Shikamo smirked at him. "We'd have to put you through a test."

Gil nodded, his expression remaining stoic. "That's fine." The three men all stared at him without saying anything.

They all waited a few moments without talking to each other. The only sounds that they could hear were the chatter of other people, the moving of machinery, and the general running of the hideout.

Neptune walked through the door and looked at the three men. "All done! Thanks for being so patient." She turned to Gil, leaning into his right side. "Come on, let's go." Gil nodded at her and then got up.

"Come on, you've wasted enough time.", said Doa.

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming.", said Neptune.

They all entered the room and the door closed behind them. There were no windows or openings in this room. It looked like an office. There was a desk, a chair, some pictures and documents on it, as well as boxes, shelves and cabinets in the room.

Neptune scratched her cheek quizzically. "I… don't get it. Where're we supposed to be going?"

Kaidan walked forward towards the opposite wall and placed his hand behind a particular cabinet, feeling around for a while. "Bingo.", he said, and there was a clicking sound. The wall closest to the cabinet started to open up, leading down into a long stairway with lights running down it.

Neptune looked down the stairs in excitement. "Wowee! That's super cool! Where does this lead to?"

"To where you need to go. It isn't too far, so try not to get lost along the way.", said Shikamo.

"If it's so close, then we should be able to make it there ourselves. But I suppose we need you all on guard duty, huh?", asked Neptune.

"Correct. People will see you and probably attack you if we didn't escort you both.", said Doa. He had walked forward to look down into the stairway.

"Awww, really? Even if it's, like, super close?"

"Yes. So keep quiet and follow us."

Neptune suddenly smirked at Gil. She brandished a toothy smile and walked towards him. "I think it's time to drop the stealth, Gilly."

Shikamo looked around in surprise. "Huh?"

The first man turned around and reached for his pocket. "Kill them."

And so began the brawl.

Neptune, in a fluid motion, slinked towards Doa who was next to the opening in the wall. She used her left arm and elbowed the man in his chest before rocketing her forearm upwards to smack him in his face. Gil spun around and attacked Shikamo. Gil lowered down as he punched him in his stomach, elevating Shikamo slightly. Gil let him fall to the floor.

Neptune, now dealing with Kaidan, dodged a swipe that he made at her neck, lowering down and kicking him at his left side, which sent him tumbling into a cabinet and fall over. She then saw that Doa had taken out a knife and was thrusting it at her with his left hand. Gil intervened. He grabbed the outstretched arm with his left hand and elbowed Doa in his ribs with his right arm. After this, Gil grabbed at the back of his neck. He raised Doa into the air and slammed him down face first into the table, causing papers to fly.

Shikamo was recovering from his attack, and stood up quickly before backing away and running for the door. "I-I knew we shouldn't have trusted you!"

Neptune maneuvered in front of the door to stop him him. Shikamo, looking slightly panicked, went to punch at Neptune. Neptune grabbed onto the side frames of the door and raised her legs to her chest. She then shot them outwards and kicked Shikamo in his chest, sending him back while spinning around to see Gil attacking Kaidan.

Kaidan had gotten up from the floor and had also pulled out a knife in his right hand. Gil walked towards him, and the man swung at Gil. Gil grabbed Kaidan's right arm before he could make contact with Gil then punched at Kaidan's throat with his right fist. Gil then grabbed the top of Kaidan's head with his left hand and forced it downwards. Gil kneed him in his face with his right leg and then pushed him towards another cabinet, causing him to fall over again.

Doa had gotten up from the table, although he still looked slightly dazed. Gil moved to him, and Doa swung his knife at Gil multiple times. Gil had to block the man at his forearm to prevent any attacks from landing. The man then moved quicker than before, with the knife rushing towards Gil's left shoulder. Gil felt a sudden, sharp pain. He grabbed Doa by his chest and ran to the nearest wall. Gil slammed Doa into it, causing him to gasp in pain.

Shikamo backed away from this and saw that Neptune was rushing towards him. She sent a right punch towards his stomach, but he managed to dodge to the right. He punched Neptune in her left side and then kicked her in the stomach, causing her to recoil back for a moment. Neptune saw that Shikamo continued to back away, and so she focused on Gil's fight.

Doa was kicking out at Gil, and managed to give a solid push. This caused Gil to let go of him. Kaidan, although his face was slightly bloody, lunged at Gil. He sliced at Gil's left leg, and Gil turned around to face him after moving away. Kaidan was following up with a swipe to Gil's neck.

But Neptune stopped him, kicking him straight in the face with her right leg. She looked at Gil while bouncing on her feet, smiling confidently. "Nice one, huh?"

Gil quickly nodded. "Yes." He turned to face Doa, who was in the midst of an attack. He threw his left knee at Gil, but Gil blocked it with his right arm, but Doa kept spinning and threw the rest of his left leg out, kicking Gil under his chin.

Neptune started moving towards Shikamo slowly. "You don't mind giving us more specific directions, do you?"

Shikamo looked at her in a confused way and then smirked. "Hah! I don't think I'll need to!"

Neptune widened her eyes and then felt a kick at the back of her. Kaidan, having recovered from Neptune's kick, managed to get behind her. She stumbled forward, and Shikamo grabbed her neck. He smirked at Neptune, then turned her around, putting his left arm around her neck to prevent her from moving. Kaidan walked slowly towards Neptune and pulled out his knife. Neptune struggled to pull at the arm around her neck, but Shikamo managed to lock both of her arms down.

"I can still kick!" Neptune kicked out at the Kaidan and managed to hit him in the chest.

Kaidan looked at Neptune with an annoyed face, then moved to her quickly. "Stop moving already!" He punched Neptune in the gut before hitting her across the face with his right hand.

"Make this easy, will you?", said Shikamo, still holding Neptune in a lock.

"Yeah, easy…", said Kaidan, taking out his knife. He thrust it at Neptune's stomach, and Neptune prepared herself, but felt no pain. Instead, Kaidan had cut into parts of her hoodie. He retracted the knife and punched her in the gut again. Neptune widened her eyes and started trying to kick out again, but was punched in her gut again. Then Kaidan reached at her neck with his hand…

Gil, who had just pushed Doa away again, managed to look at Neptune's situation for a moment while he was on his knees. In that moment, Gil saw everything as if time was moving slower. Kaidan, with a knife in his right hand, had reached for Neptune's neck. He cut at a part of her hoodie… He had the knife to her stomach… He looked like he was enjoying himself… And started to cut into her hoodie more… Gil froze. He could see Neptune struggling to free herself. He could see both men by her taking joy from this and what they wanted to do. They wanted…

Neptune kicked Kaidan, sending him away. He quickly returned, and was making an attempt to grab the zipper on Neptune's hoodie. Gil… couldn't handle that...

Gil got to his knees and stared out at Neptune. His eyes were wide. His mouth was open as if he was stunned or bewildered. His arms were at his sides, limp. These people… they wanted to hurt her… they wanted her…

Neptune continued to kick out, and even shouted sometimes. Shouted out, looking for help. And these… things… They took joy from it… Kaidan grabbed at Neptune's zipper, and held onto it as if tormenting her.

"Gilly!"

She called out his name. And that…

…Is when Gil snapped…

Doa, now recovered, lunged at Gil with his knife in his left hand. Gil, still on his knees, turned his head to face him. Doa was going to cut down at Gil's right shoulder. He looked right at Gil's face. Gil got to his feet and grabbed Doa's arm with his right hand, keeping the blade above his shoulder. He then gripped at the man's neck with his left hand and held him there. Gil punched Doa's face with his right hand three times before hitting him in the gut.

Doa tried to pry Gil's hand off with his free one to no avail. The man could see Gil's face. His mouth was slightly open and his teeth were grit together.

Gil started to twist the man's arm at his elbow. He heard a snapping sound, and Doa screamed. He then picked Doa up from the ground and threw him to the floor. Gil fell to his left knee and forced Doa into the ground. Gil heard Doa gasp in pain again before he punched his gut again. Gil picked Doa up again but now held the back of his head with his right hand. Gil forced him, face first, into a wall. Gil heard a cracking sound. He kneed into the back of Doa before forcing him into the wall again. As Doa fell to the floor, Gil kicked him across the face, causing him to go limp.

Neptune was still struggling, and was desperately trying to break free. "Almost there, lady.", said Kaidan.

"Look out!", called out Shikamo.

Kaidan turned around just in time to see Gil charging at him. Gil had his right hand next to his face with his palm facing Kaidan. And Kaidan could see Gil's expression. Pure, pure bloodlust. Kaidan saw Gil's right hand rocket towards him. It hit him in the chest and Gil had grabbed his shirt. Gil pulled him closer and elbowed into the man's stomach with his right arm. Gil punched Kaidan's throat, grabbed his neck and punched into his right side before he threw Kaidan behind himself, continuing his path. Shikamo, still holding Neptune in a lock, didn't know what to do.

Gil's mouth was now closed and was a thin line on his face. He grabbed at Shikamo's left arm, pulling it away from Neptune's neck. Gil then grabbed at Shikamo's right arm, which completely freed Neptune. She fell to her feet and moved out of the way, leaning against a wall.

Shikamo couldn't move away while he was kept in place by Gil. Gil looked at him for a moment, glaring at him. Shikamo squealed as Gil twisted Shikamo's arms at the wrists before kneeing him in the stomach and pushing him to the floor.

Gil turned around, seeing that Kaidan was lying on the floor while trying recomposing himself. He saw Gil and started to rise up. Gil walked towards him and looked down at him. Kaidan suddenly felt very afraid. Shikamo, having not taken as much damage as the others, started to get up, but Neptune jumped onto his back and placed her right knee to it. She pulled her gun out from its strap and placed it against the back of his head.

"How's about you "make this easy,", huh?", said Neptune. Shikamo didn't resist.

Gil stood above Kaidan, who was now backed up against a cabinet. He blinked at Gil and had his knife in his right hand. He quickly got to his feet and thrust the knife at Gil. Gil reacted incredibly quickly, kicking the arm away with his right leg. This caused Kaidan to lean against the cabinet as well as lose his grip on his knife. Gil reached forward and grabbed Kaidan's right arm, holding it out straight at his side. Gil then stepped towards it and raised his right knee quickly.

Neptune looked up from Shikamo as she heard Kaidan scream. She saw that his right arm was bent in a way that it shouldn't normally bend...

Gil let Kaidan fall while he leaned against the cabinets. Gil then kicked at Kaidan's left knee. He heard a crack, and Neptune could see that Kaidan's left leg was now also bending in a way that it normally shouldn't. Kaidan was now breathing heavily, panting while sitting on the floor. Gil lowered down onto his right knee just in front of him. As he looked at Gil, Gil elbowed into his face. He did it again before stomping on Kaidan's right leg. Gil finally elbowed Kaidan's face again, causing his head to hit against the cabinet. The man fell to his side, lying limp across the floor.

Shikamo had a front row seat to all of this, and started breathing faster. Gil got up and turned around, walking towards Neptune and Shikamo. "W-What're you going to do?!", asked Shikamo.

Gil didn't say anything, instead walking to the door.

"We want you to tell us more specific directions.", said Neptune. "Kinda like a treasure map, ya know?"

"Why should I?!"

"Because if you do, I won't hurt you."

"W-What?!"

"Yup! You'll get home free from me!"

A crashing sound was heard. Gil had toppled over some cabinets to block the door to the room to make sure that nobody could enter.

"W-Well what do you want to find?!"

"Remember when I mentioned the two special packages? Yeah, them. Where are they?"

Shikamo triede to collect his thoughts. "I, um… I-I think they're down the main path. I d-don't think you have to turn into any o-other rooms at all…"

Neptune pressed harder her gun against his head. "You think? Or you know?"

"I know! I know, okay! I know for sure!"

"Are you though?"

"Yes! I'm certain!"

Neptune didn't do anything for a few moments, which terrified Shikamo. "Alright then! I'm satisfied.", said Neptune, getting up to her feet.

Shikamo continued to lie down for a moment before he slowly rose to his feet. "You… mean it?"

Neptune smiled at him. "Yup!"

Shikamo smiled warily and took a deep breath in... But then he realized something. "B-But how am I supposed to get out?"

"Oh, right, right. That. Well, you're not."

"Why not?!"

"Because I said that I wouldn't hurt you. Gilly, though…"

Shikamo widened his eyes. He turned around slowly and saw that Gil glaring at him. "Please no…"

Gil started moving towards him.

"Please no!"

Gil grabbed at Shikamo's neck with both of his hands. He began to squeeze while Shikamo tried to pull Gil's hands off. Gil let go of him, letting him drop to his knees and cough a few times. Gil then grabbed Shikamo's right arm and led him to the table. Gil slammed his head against the side of it and let Shikamo fall to his back. Gil stood over Shikamo while he gripped at his face. Gil then grabbed Shikamo again and forced his face against the table another three times. Gil then kicked him over onto his back and stood on his chest, pushing into it as Shikamo tried to pry the foot off of himself. Gil took his foot off from the man's chest… And then stomped on his face.

"Don't… touch her."

Neptune, leaning against the wall again, looked around the room. All three men, each with pretty… nasty injuries, were lying about, not moving. Neptune gave a wary smile at the scene and looked down at herself. "Dangit… Now my clothes are all ripped." She felt at the torn parts. There weren't too many, but some of them were quite… big tears.

Gil turned to face Neptune and quickly walked towards her. "Are you alright?"

Neptune raised an eyebrow while looking Gil up and down. "Yeah, yeah, all fine and dandy… Maybe you should worry about yourself, huh?"

Gil had been stabbed in his right shoulder and cut at his left leg. He'd been hit multiple times, as well. "I'm fine."

"Uhh… no, you're not. You were kinda stabbed."

Gil looked down, slightly scrunching his eyes. "But are you alright?"

"A bit battered, but other than that, yup. Just a bit mad that my clothes are kinda ripped." Gil looked at her and then down at her clothing. "Oooh, you're such a perv, Gilly…"

"I can repair that later. When we're done with this."

"You can?! Are you some sort of expert clothes-maker person?!"

"No. I can use my magic."

"Your magic?"

"Yes. I'll show you later.", Gil still looked at Neptune apprehensively.

Neptune looked at him with a slight pout as she stood up straight. "What'sa matter? I'm really fine, Gilly."

Gil closed his eyes and relaxed his face, taking a deep breath out. He looked at Neptune again and nodded. "Then we need to get moving."

Neptune stretched her arms into the air. "Yessy! I'm all for that."

Just then, a purple butterfly appeared in the room. "I'm still here, ya know.", came Croire, who changed into her normal form.

"Hiya Croire! Did you see all that?"

"Yeah, I did. Gotta say, that was pretty fricken' interestin'. Not the part with you were... Ya know, grabbed... But everything else, yeah."

"See, Gilly? Croire cares. She isn't some heartless fairy..."

"Quiet, you."

They three of them started moving towards the opening in the wall. Neptune looked at the three men again. "But geez, Gilly, you really went ham on them in the end!"

"Was it that bad?"

"Yes!"

Croire briefly laughed. "Definitely."

"…Sorry."

"Do you think I did a lot, too?", asked Neptune.

"Yes. You did.", said Gil.

"Aww, thanks."

The trio were at the edge of the stairs. They all looked down into it.

"You ready?", asked Neptune.

"Uh-huh.", said Croire.

"Yes.", said Gil.

They all moved through the opening and down onto the stairs, leaving the room, and the three men, behind.

* * *

**And that's that.**

**How was that fight? Did it feel alright? I really hope I wasn't undermining Neptune's abilities. She's not some girl that doesn't know how to fight after all. ****And the rest of it, leading up to the fight? How Gil woke Neptune up, how they went to Dusty's place, teleported around, all that stuff. ****Let me know? Maybe? Maybe?**

**Reviews and all that nice stuff are all welcomed! Openly! Don't be afraid to share, and stuff.**

**So yeah. That's that.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	26. Rescue of Two

**Hello again! Yup, it's been a while… But again, I can explain!**

**I was away from home for a week and couldn't work on this, then when I got home I still had to go to other places for pretty much a week, so I was still mostly unavailable. On top of that, my internet was being all iffy for a while, so I couldn't even upload documents to the doc manager. And here we are! Yay!**

**Anyway…**

**I hope you enjoy this one! So have fun!**

* * *

**Chapter 25:**

Neptune looked to Gil playfully while walking down the flight of stairs they had taken. "So what do you think's going to happen?"

"We save them."

"Well, yeah. But do ya think that it's gonna be as easy as that guy said? Straight down the way, no turns or nothin'?"

"I'd hope so. You were kinda threatenin' his life, and he seemed like the type to rat out.", said Croire.

"I hope you're right."

"Me too.", said Gil.

"And what if he's lying? Ya gonna give him the ol' what for again?", asked Neptune, shadow boxing in front of herself.

"I just might."

Croire took a wicked smile. "That'd be cool to see. Do a curb stomp next time, 'kay?"

"Hey, Crosty, we're not here to kill people. Right?"

Gil didn't answer, and instead kept walking down the stairs. Croire chuckled to herself while raising an eyebrow. "Yeah. Right."

Neptune looked at her worryingly. "Let's not if we don't have to, alright? That'd cause big problems."

They continued walking down the stairs. The walls were dark green with wall mounted lights present every few flights. Croire floated ahead of the other two. "I think we're here." Sure enough, they had reached the end of the stairs. Ahead of them was what seemed to be a flat, hallway like area that spread out to the sides. There was a metal looking door at the end of the hallway. The walls were half green, half cream, separated by a diagonal line running across the walls of the room. There were some pillars that stuck out from the walls as well as some piles of equipment or supplies that were left out in the path.

The trio walked through the hallway. They saw that there were some barred gates on the sides of it, blocking the entrance to small rooms, and it looked like these rooms were intended to hold some boxes of supplies, or people. Gil looked into each room. "No sign of Renna or Uzume."

"It's gonna be at the last one, Gilly. Just look how "final boss" it looks like.", said Neptune.

Croire nodded slowly. "You know, Neptune's got a point. Even if she does go about saying it in weird ways."

Neptune raised her arms into the air. "Yay!"

Gil looked up at the ceiling. He could see a few cameras around the room turning on swivels. "I think they know we're here."

Neptune looked at him and followed his gaze. "Aww, dangit. There goes my stealth stat." Just then, the main door opened, revealing four people who walked into sight. They were holding… "Aw, Nep! Get down!" Neptune took Gil's hands and dived to the right. Bullets started to fly through the air. They managed to fall behind a pile of equipment just in time to avoid the barrage, and it looked like the pile was sturdy enough to withstand the bullets. "They're packing heat!"

"I think I'll just… stay out of this one…", said Croire, turning into a butterfly and flying up into the air.

Gil looked at Neptune with an annoyed face. "They have guns. Great."

"Probably many types of them, too! I'll just take a peek…" Neptune slightly raised her head above their cover, and could only look for a moment before ducking back down out of the way from another barrage. "Well, they got two assault rifles, a pistol, and a shotgun."

"Do… you have a plan?"

"Kinda. You?"

"Part of one."

"Well let's put our plans together and sort something out…"

"I can blind them with my light. Then we rush towards them."

"You can? Like a flashbang?"

"Sure."

"That'll be good. But I'm thinking we advance to some of the pillars first before moving right to them."

"Okay. Then what?"

"We, um… I can shoot at them, which'll cause them to take cover!"

"Then we move onto them?"

"I… suppose. Try to break their weapons, alright?"

"I'll try."

"Maybe use your gauntlets!" Gil looked down for a moment and summoned his gauntlets. Another barrage of bullets was heard, as well as some scurrying. Neptune pulled out her pistol. "Oh well, there's no time like the present! Do the whole flashy thing!"

Gil nodded, then angled his right hand up to the ceiling. He shot out a beam of light and looked away. He and Neptune heard some shouts coming from the gunmen and took that as a sign to advance. "Now!", started Neptune. They got up to their feet. Gil was in front of Neptune as they both started advancing towards a pillar in front of them…

A gunshot was heard. Neptune saw Gil recoil backwards as he let out a shout. He raised his right arm in a fist and a large pillar of fire erupted from the ground, running across the ground towards the gunmen. Neptune ran to tackle Gil to the ground. "Get down, Gilly!" They both fell forwards onto the floor. "There goes that plan… Crawl forwards with me!" Neptune was lying on Gil's back, and Gil looked over his right shoulder to look at her. He started crawling forwards, and Neptune did the same as she got off of him. They managed to crawl towards a sturdy looking pile of boxes.

"Quick thinking with the fire thing, though.", said Neptune. Gil leaned up against the boxes, looking at Neptune with grit teeth. Neptune looked at him with a worried face. "Oh no… Gil, your left-"

"I know, my shoulder." His left shoulder had been struck by a bullet. "It's… fine. I'm fine." Gil breathed in and out in a controlled manner.

"At… At least let me do something!"

"There's no time! We have to… take these people out." Neptune thought about this. Like, he wasn't exactly wrong… They would have to be quick in their current predicament. And he was half-CPU, so he was probably fine. Those other girls could tank literal, well, TANK shots! Does that even makes sense?! Even if he was bleeding, Gil would be better off than most people… But he had been stabbed and sliced at just minutes before.

"Neptune!"

"Fine, we'll go on. But when we can, we're taking a look at that shoulder of yours!" Gil nodded. "Do the blindy flashy thing again, please."

Gil did as she asked and sent out another beam of light. He sent out another one a second later to be sure. They then advanced forward, and Neptune fired her pistol at the floor near the people, causing them to get behind cover. They both managed to maneuver behind a pillar on the left, and although there wasn't much space, they both fit.

"What's it look like?", asked Neptune.

Gil took a peek around the pillar and could see that all four gunmen were taking cover. Two were on the right, two were on the left, and they weren't too far away from each other. But they weren't exactly close, either. The metal door was still open, if only slightly. "Two on the left, two on the right. Couldn't see which ones had which guns."

"Nice rhyming at the end." Gil looked at Neptune with a tired face. "Sorry! Just had to lighten the mood. It's what I'm like, you'll get used to it."

Gil rested his head against the pillar and shook it. "What now?"

"I wonder… Is there any way to break their weapons from here?"

"I could shoot light at them."

"And I could use my gun, although I'd have to be pretty accurate…" Neptune looked up, seeing that Croire was still floating around the ceiling. "That's it! We CAN get closer to them, although we'll need to distract them."

"How?"

"You'll see! Just go along with it, mkay?" Gil looked at her with a puzzled expression, but resigned himself to whatever Neptune had in stall for them. Neptune looked up at Croire, and motioned for her to come closer. It seemed like Croire noticed, and she came floating closer. Then Neptune turned to Gil. "Now, Gil… I want you to cause a big distraction for me. Something to grab their attention enough to completely lose track of anything else. Can you do that?"

Gil cocked his head to his left. "I can, but why?"

"Just go with it! You have faith in me, dontcha?"

Gil blinked at Neptune before responding, as if deciding what to say. "Yes."

"Then it'll all be fine! Everything'll be fine and dandy, so don't worry about me! Worry about yourself out there while doing the distraction thing." The four gunmen didn't seem to be making any moves. They might be lying in wait, their sights trained on the pillar…

"What other choice is there?", asked Gil rhetorically.

"None! Now go! Please?"

Gil could see Croire floating closer. She was almost by them. Gil looked at Neptune for a moment before nodding. He stuck his left hand out from the pillar and shot out a stream of fire. He moved his hand so that it would cover the entire hallway, both blocking the sights of the gunmen as well as threatening them all. Gil ran out from the pillar, dashing forward. He was getting closer to one of the gunmen on the left, but he could see that all of them were now ready to shoot.

He dived behind cover to dodge incoming fire. The enemy who was closest to him held a pistol. They were about two pieces of cover away, which wasn't that large of a distance. Whatever Neptune was planning, Gil hoped that it would happen quickly. He looked over the cover and shot out another stream of flames, again obscuring the enemies' sight.

He ran forward towards the nearest enemy until was in front of the cover the opponent was behind. When the fire dispersed and the first enemy looked over, Gil was already on them. Gil pulled the person over the cover and forced them to the floor. Gil saw that it was a woman. Short, brown hair accompanied by bluey-green eyes. The girl was lying on her right side, and Gil was looking down at her while holding her to the ground with his left hand.

The girl's left hand was free, and she managed to aim her pistol at Gil. Gil reacted quickly, grabbing the front of the barrel with his right hand. The girl fired her gun, but the bullets could not penetrate through Gil's gauntlet. The girl looked stunned, and Gil moved before she did. He took the pistol and threw it to his right, letting it bounce against a wall. He then pulled the girl towards the cover as he sat against it.

Gil had his right arm across the girl's neck. With his other hand, he held the girl's lower body in place. He then began to squeeze. The girl tried to kick out, but could not get Gil off of her. After a few moments of struggle, Gil let go of the girl, letting her fall to the floor unconscious. She slumped to the left limply. "What now?"

He looked to his right and spotted the pistol he had thrown away. It was within his reach. He quickly grabbed at it and was nearly shot by incoming fire while doing so. He looked down at the gun. He… had never really used one properly before. He had mostly stuck to magic and close combat, so his skill with guns was… limited. But it was a tool he could use right now, so he would use it. "Come on, Neptune… do what you need to do!"

He gripped the gun with both hands and raised his head above the cover. He quickly ducked back down to avoid incoming fire. Now was the time that he should attack again. He raised himself up and held the pistol towards the next closest target. He fired a shot out and it hit the enemy's cover. He then aimed at the two other enemies, shot, and received similar results. He shot three more times, each at one of the targets, and again hit their cover. But at least they had gotten behind the cover.

He advanced forward, shooting another three times at each target. He was going to shoot again, but… he was out of bullets. Great. The three remaining enemies turned out from their cover, all of them aiming at Gil. Thinking quickly, Gil threw the empty pistol at the closest enemy, who was holding an assault rifle. It struck them in the head, disorienting them for some time. But the other two still had their sights on Gil…

"Here I come!", Neptune shouted. A portal had opened above one of the enemies on the right, and out from it fell Neptune with her pistol in hand. She shot at each of the enemies' guns, making them lose the grip on their weapons. Both enemies looked up to face Neptune. Neptune landed on one of them and struck them in the face with her left knee, and once she had landed, shot at the other enemy's rifle. It didn't break, but it was enough to startle the enemy for some time.

Neptune ran at the enemy after lifting off from the person she was currently on. The one she ran towards aimed his rifle at Neptune. Neptune managed to get low and, while spinning and using her left leg for support, kicked up at the barrel of the gun with her right leg. She didn't kick the gun out of the rifleman's hands, but made it so that it shot into the ceiling. Neptune then spun again, sending her right leg into the man's chest, kicking him and his gun away.

Neptune turned around to see that the man she had landed on, the one with a shotgun, was beginning to get up from the floor. She rushed towards him and kicked the gun away from him. Now these two were both unarmed! All according to plan! Mostly…

Gil was still running at the next person, who was holding a rifle. The person was still recovering from Gil's pistol throw while standing up from behind cover. Gil ran forward and leapt over the cover, grabbing onto it with both hands, and sent himself flying forwards towards the rifleman. Gil had his right leg out and kicked at the man's chest. Gil landed on his feet and rushed towards the man. He used his left hand to hold the man down and punched him rifleman across the face with his right fist, knocking him out.

Gil looked up at Neptune and ran towards her. It didn't look like she needed the help, though. She was by the man who she had first landed on, and he was still getting up from the floor. Before he could fully recover, Neptune struck him across the face with the back of her pistol, which seemed to sort him out. Now it was just the last rifleman…

The man got up and looked between Neptune and Gil. He saw them both approaching him, and turned around to grab his gun. He leapt for it and fell to the ground while turning his gun on Gil. Neptune reached out towards Gil."Look out, Gilly!"

Gil wasn't close enough to stop the man, so he had to improvise. He held his hands out, hoping to block the incoming fire. Luckily, he was successful. He positioned his arms in front of his chest, where the gunman was aiming, and watched as the bullets deflected off of his gauntlets. Neptune took this chance to rush the man, kicking the man in the head with the sole of her foot, causing him to fall over to his side. She then jumped onto him and struck his head with the back of her pistol, knocking him out.

Neptune got to her feet and looked to Gil. "See! My plan worked!"

Gil looked at the man Neptune had just attacked. "Yeah. I see that. You used Croire to make a portal above them to ambush them."

"That I did!"

"Smart."

"Thanks! There's more to me than just jokes and stuff, so you know."

Gil started walking towards the metal door. "I know."

"Hey, hey, not so fast. What did we say would happen when this little random encounter was over and done with?" Neptune wiggled a finger from side to side.

Gil sighed to himself. "Fine." He walked back to Neptune and sat on the floor.

Neptune smiled down at him for a moment before opening her inventory. "Good. Now, let's see what I have here…" Meanwhile, Gil looked around. There didn't seem to be much else around them. He looked back at the people he had just knocked out and confirmed that they were still out. He then glared up at a particular camera that was looking at him and Neptune. It wasn't moving. "Found it! My patented cure to… most injuries! The Nep Bull VII! Known to help with anything from a bug's bite to a cross slash! Try now! T's and C's apply." Neptune winking during the last part. She spun around while holding a bottle of liquid as if advertising it. It had a purple N on it. She then kneeled down and held it out for Gil to take. "Here, take it."

Gil grabbed the bottle. "Is it medicine?"

"You could say that. You just drink it. Preferably all of it." Gil raised an eyebrow at Neptune, eyeing her. "Trust me. It's helped me in some sticky situations before. I wouldn't be offering it if it didn't work."

After this, Gil took the top off of the bottle and began raising it to his mouth.

"Maybe, uh, just prepare yourself.", said Neptune. Gil took a sip of the drink… And kept going. "Woah, okay."

Taking his time, Gil eventually drank the whole thing. He finished, putting the bottle to the floor while scrunching his face. "That was… very bitter."

"Yet you drank the whole thing.", said Neptune. Most of the time, people would turn their noses up after the first sip.

"You said I had to, so I did. What now?"

"Well… Nothing, really. You should feel better pretty much immediately."

Gil got up from the floor, as did Neptune. "I suppose I do." Gil rolled his left shoulder. "It does feel better."

"That doesn't mean that you should try and put yourself in any more dangerous situations like that, though!"

"I'll… be sure to be more careful."

Neptune patted the bottom of her hoodie, and turned to face the door. "Now onto the final boss! Where's the fog wall? The save station? Anybody here to offer us some help?"

Croire appeared besides Neptune. "Quit it with your references, Neptune."

"Hey, Croire! Good to see you again! Thanks for the help back there, by the way."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Croire then looked at Gil.

He was giving her a hard stare, but then nodded at her and looked towards the door. "Come on. We need to save them."

The trio moved through the doorway, entering into another room. It was rectangular in shape and wasn't that large. It had a clean metal floor that reflected that reflected some light off of it. The walls on the side were grey, and the walls at the opposite end of the room were black. These were also clean. The roof didn't extend very far up into the air.

There was a table in the center of the room which looked to be made out of metal. It looked standard, with their being the usual office set up, a computer, the sorts. That's also where Faust was sitting. "So you guys actually figured it out." He was in his green, high necked and long sleeved shirt, his long, black chinos, and his silver belt. He had his golden necklace, his expensive looking sneakers…

And worst of all, his irritating smile. "Figured you'd all get here later, but whatever. Who's the fairy?"

Gil continued to look around the room. There were some neat piles of boxes and general supplies that were against some of the walls. There seemed to be a few other people in here, and they looked to be guards. They stood by the supplies and against the walls. There were some pipes that led up from the ground that were mounted against the walls. And there, seemingly handcuffed to two of the pipes at the back of the room, were Renna and Uzume. Gil widened his eyes, focusing on them.

"Hey, could you not ignore me? That's rude, especially towards me.", said Faust. He looked behind himself and gestured to the guards at the back. They moved towards Renna and Uzume and released the restraints, letting the captives fall forward onto the floor.

Gil stepped forward, but Neptune stopped him by putting a hand in front of him. She looked at him with a wary smile. "We need to act calmly here, Gilly. Try to… keep your cool, alright?"

Gil scrunched his hands into fists. "I'll try."

Faust huffed and then looked forward at the three in front of him. "Oops." Renna and Uzume were lifted up from the floor and carried towards Faust. They were placed on chairs that were besides the table. They were then restrained again, being handcuffed to the chair at each arm. They were both unconscious, although… Uzume seemed to be moving a bit.

Gil narrowed his eyes at Faust. "What… do you want?"

"I think I've… pretty much already got what I want. Now I just want to have some fun."

"This is fun for you?"

"Yes. Of course it is." Gil didn't reply as he continued to glare. "You know, getting these two wasn't that hard. Obviously. I was there when it happened, looking at all of you sleep."

Neptune pointed at him. "You're a sicko."

Faust looked at her, then continued talking. "You see, I'm really big on chemicals. I've studied plenty of them, as well as their effects on the body. So finding a way to knock them out wasn't that hard. Even a CPU would go down to the stuff I used. I simply had my men put some of the chemicals on rags, and that was enough. Simple, right?" Faust then looked at Gil. "We went after the redhead over there…", Faust pointed to his right with his thumb. "… first. She never saw it coming, and she only opened her eyes for a second before she was gone."

Croire scrunched her face in disgust. "Okay, yeah, this guy's pretty messed up."

"…Your sister woke up for a second before we put her to sleep." Gil grit his teeth harder. "She had just opened her eyes, and was about to scream, but I got to her in time. That's right, I did it myself. With the rag and everything. Of course, we injected them with more of it to make sure that they'd stay asleep, and look at them now. Still far gone."

Gil started to walk forward, and Neptune walked with him, trying to get him to stop.

"I don't think you understand the situation." Faust took a knife out and held it to his left, by Renna's neck. Gil immediately stopped in his tracks and opened his mouth in a pained expression, his teeth still together. "Good. Stop there and be the classic hero who doesn't want people to get hurt." He then signaled with his left hand, causing more people to get closer to him. "Surround them." Neptune and Gil were then slowly encircled by the people. "Do you really think I'd actually hurt these two if I didn't have to, though? What'd be the point of me even having taken them in if I wanted that?" Faust threw his hands up into the air. "You don't even know the first thing about this whole situation, do you?"

Neptune and Gil looked forward at Faust. He was leaning forward on his table, looking at the scene in front of him. "So I'll have you all fight. Because I want you to. It's great entertainment for me. I don't expect you both to get out of this in one piece, which is a shame, taking you into account…", said Faust, aimed at Neptune.

Neptune and Gil didn't say anything. They looked around themselves, noting that the guards were all wearing similar gear. They had black masks that looked similar to old demon faces, the kind that were popular in ancient tales of Lowee. Red mouths with large teeth, wide, angry looking eyes, and two small horns at the top of them. Other than that, they all wore dark clothing, ranging from black, grey, and brown. They were all completely covered, with not a smidgen of skin visible. None of them had guns, and they all seemed to be holding close range weapons. From clubs, to swords, to knives.

Gil was looking at Faust and noticed that Uzume seemed to be stirring. Maybe her hitting the floor woke her up a bit? "Neptune, I have an idea."

Neptune summoned her swords. "Really?! What's it?" She was next to Gil, on his right side.

Gil smiled to himself. "Just go with it."

Neptune rolled her eyes. "Oh, you."

And they started, with Croire, again, rising into the air, out of the battle. The guards started to close in, but Neptune and Gil rushed at them before they were too confined. Neptune took the back and Gil took the front. Immediately, Gil blocked an overhead swipe from a club with his right hand and was going to punch the guard, but a second enemy swung at Gil with a knife from his left, so he had to block that instead. Gil grabbed onto the knife, holding it in place.

Neptune clashed her right sword with an enemy's and swung into the blade from her left with her other sword, knocking the enemy away. She then used both of her swords to smack that enemy while using the flat of her sword. He fell backwards, falling to the ground a distance away.

Gil closed his left hand fully, snapping the knife he was blocking, but the man with the club swung at Gil from below, so Gil had to refocus on him and punch into the club, sending to the ground. Something impacted in the back of Gil. It wasn't a weapon, but something else. He started feeling a bit dizzy. Neptune turned to face him and ran at the enemies by him. She blocked a club attack aimed at Gil's head and cut the weapon in half. She spun around, kicking the enemy in the chest, causing him to topple over.

The unarmed man tackled Neptune to the ground, but Neptune punched him in the face. Gil, still on his feet, grabbed the man by his shoulders and threw him off of Neptune. Gil helped Neptune to her feet although he was a unstable.

"What's wrong, Gilly?"

"I shot him.", said Faust, interrupting the fight. None of the guards advanced while he spoke. "Not a bullet or anything. Think of it like a very, very small syringe." Faust held out some sort of gun. "Pretty handy thing. Allows me to poison or hamper people with chemicals from a distance, even though it is in smaller dosages."

Gil held his face while trying to stay upright. Neptune held onto him to keep him up.

"Feelin' a little off balance, huh?", taunted Faust.

"Oh no… Can you still move properly?", asked Neptune.

"Somewhat…" Gil shook his head to the sides. "Neptune, I need you to slap me in the face."

"Nep wha?!"

"It could help me stay focused… Focused on that, rather than the dizziness…"

Neptune seemed to consider her options for a moment. "Well, if you say so…!" She pulled her right hand backwards in an open palm and slapped Gil with a loud sound.

Faust, who had continued talking even though Neptune and Gil weren't listening, was surprised by this. "What's this? Aren't you supposed to be allies?"

Gil shook his head from side to side and then looked to Neptune. "It's not perfect, but that helped."

"Huh. I didn't hurt you too much, did I?"

Gil raised his eyebrows at Neptune. "You have a strong arm."

"Oh…"

Faust sat back in his chair with a hand to his chin. "Hmm… I see what happened. Think you're so smart, do you? That'll help a bit, I admit, but not completely."

Gil got back into a stance, raising his fists up slightly, and Neptune held her swords to her sides. "Thanks.", said Gil. "This'll be over soon, just need to find the right moment."

"You're telling me that this final boss type room won't actually take that long?"

"Possibly."

"Aww, my expectations are shattered… Not that I mind!" Neptune who rushed forward towards an enemy. She lodged her swords into the ground and used them to send herself forwards, kicking into an enemy's stomach.

Gil had two enemies on him. One of them had a club, and one had a sword. Gil blocked a swipe from the sword with his left hand, and jabbed into the enemy's chest with his right fist. He then blocked an attack with his right forearm and sent his left palm into that enemy's chin. Neptune turned around, seeing that a third enemy was rushing to Gil from behind. She unsummoned her swords, ran up to the man and jumped onto his back, getting him in a chokehold.

The man gripped at her arms, trying to pry them off, and Neptune managed to lower the man to the floor. She then held her right arm out, summoned her sword into it, and hit him at the right side of his head with the hilt of her weapon, which knocked him out. She looked back to Gil, seeing that the two enemies he was fighting were still up. Gil saw a thrust coming from the swordsman and moved to the left, letting the sword move past him. Gil was off balance, but kneed into the man with his right leg.

"Gilly, your right!", called out Neptune, who was still moving towards Gil. He looked to his right, and could just barely block a club attack to his head with his left hand. The attack hit Gil's arm away. The enemy thrust the club into Gil's stomach and then smacked Gil at his right side. After that, the enemy kicked at Gil, which caused him to spin around and face Faust while falling forward.

Neptune quickly summoned her pistol into her hands and shot at the enemy's club, breaking it. Gil held his right arm out in front of him, aiming at Faust. Faust widened his eyes and thrust his knife closer to Renna. "Use that magic of yours on me and she's dead."

Gil, lying on the ground, shot a beam of light out… Which completely missed Faust. "Hah. Guess my worry was unnecessary." Faust relaxed. He held his arm up, making the remaining guards halt.

"I thought you said you weren't going to kill them!", shouted Neptune, who had also stopped.

"Well if it means I'm going to die, then yes, I will use my captives as leverage. Obviously." Neptune narrowed her eyes at Faust and then looked at Gil. A crash was heard, and everyone looked to the side of Faust's table. Uzume's chair had fallen over to the side, causing Uzume to hit the ground. Faust laughed. "Hah! You not only missed me, but ended up hurting the redhead!"

Gil was getting up from the ground slowly, still holding his head. "That… was the point."

Faust narrowed his eyes. "What was that?"

Neptune was now next to Gil. "You alright?"

He looked at her with a slight smile. "Yes. And the plan… worked." Neptune followed his gaze, ending up on Uzume.

"Wha… What's goin' on?", muttered Uzume, looking around groggily.

Faust heard this and looked to Uzume with surprise. "What?! How are you awake?!" Uzume looked at Neptune and Gil and became instantly aware of the situation she was in. She moved her arms quickly, breaking the restraints that kept her in place. Faust was dumbfounded by this, and could only look on.

Uzume got to her feet slowly and held her head. "Oww… My head… Dammit, feels like I've been hit there a couple of times…" She once again looked at Neptune and Gil, smiling at them. "What's up?"

"Uzume, please… transform.", asked Gil.

Neptune looked at him with surprise, but figured that it was the right idea. She looked to Uzume and nodded her approval. Uzume looked to her left at Faust, and said one thing before transforming. "You're gonna regret messin' with us." There was a blinding flash of light, and a moment later, Orange Heart stood in Uzume's place.

Faust, who had blocked his eyes with his hands, looked at Orange Heart with an even more dumbfounded face. "Y-You're a CPU?!"

"That's right! Orange Heart is here~!", spoke Orange Heart, her high pitch voice spreading throughout the room. She took a pose, raising her hands next to her head in double peace signs. Both Neptune and Gil smiled at this. Orange Heart turned to Faust. "And first of all… You're a meany!" She put her fists to her hips, taking a displeased stance.

Faust smirked and brought his knife out. "I still have-"

With tremendous speed, Orange Heart summoned her megaphone, held it by her mouth with both hands and screamed into it. The resulting sound waves knocked Faust out from his seat, sending him toppling across the ground. Orange Heart pointed at Faust and shook her head. "Uh-uh, you can't do that! Now stay there like a good boy until I'm ready!"

And so, Orange Heart flew past Neptune and Gil, winking a she did so. "Be back in a jiffy~." She flew towards two enemies that were unarmed and used her megaphone to blow one of them into a wall. She then flying kicked the other one in the face, which knocked him out. She turned around, seeing that there were three enemies left. One with a knife and two with swords. She flew towards the one with a knife, landing in front of him. The man desperately slashed at Orange Heart, who ducked down to dodge it.

Then, in a rather cute motion, Orange Heart punched the man in his stomach, causing him to fall back a small distance, grip his stomach, and pass out. "Hi-yah!" Orange Heart stood up in a stance, which was less intimidating and more funny.

She ran at the two swordsmen who were approaching her simultaneously. They both swung at her and she dodged by floating backwards at the last second. She retaliated by backflipping while floating, kicking one of the enemy's under the chin and lifting him into the air.

The remaining enemy swung at her again, this time from above, but Orange Heart blocked it with the circular device on her left forearm. She then placed her megaphone by the man's chest and screamed into it, throwing him across the floor. Orange Heart flew upwards, grabbing onto the man who she had kicked up into the air and pulled him towards the ground. She laid him down gently. After a moment of waiting, she aimed her megaphone at the man's head and screamed into it for no more than half a second, which knocked him out.

She flew towards the last enemy, who was still lying on the floor, and did the same thing. She floated slightly off the ground and towards Neptune, posing victoriously. "And that's all, folks!"

Neptune clapped for her vigorously, smiling in excitement. "Way to go, Uzume! You were amazing!"

"Thanks a bunch, Nepsy!" Orange Heart smiled. She then looked to her left and right and took a curious face. "But… where's Gilsy?"

"Oh, shoot! I didn't even realize that he wasn't here! Where could he…" Neptune looked around, looking past Orange Heart, and saw Gil walking towards… "Uzume, behind you! You have to get to him, quickly!" Neptune started to sprint towards Gil.

"Wha?! Nepsy, why-" Orange Heart looked behind herself.

Faust was still on the floor, still dazed from Orange Heart's attack. "How was I supposed to know she was a damn Goddess…" Faust mumbled to himself, holding the back of his head. Gil was walking towards him. Orange Heart realized why Neptune wanted her to rush.

"Oh no!" Orange Heart flew towards Gil at high speed, quickly passing Neptune.

Faust eventually looked up at Gil and saw him approaching. Faust started to back away across the floor, holding his hand out nervously. "Hey, hey, think about this…" Gil summoned his sword into his right hand, holding it to his side as he increased his pace. "You don't have to do this!" Gil stood above him, looking down at Faust with a menacing face. He quickly moved his sword to his left, preparing a swing…

"Gilsy!", shouted Orange Heart, who was quickly approaching. She flew into the back of Gil, holding his right arm back to prevent him from swinging it. She held around Gil's body with her left arm as if hugging him. "Please, stop this, Gilsy! You mustn't do this, it's bad!", exclaimed Orange Heart.

Gil struggled to free his right arm, but eventually stopped. "Why?! This… thing kidnapped you and Renna!"

"I know! But he can't do anything to us now! You're not a meany, Gilsy!"

"He deserves to answer to justice!"

"This isn't justice!"

"Who says?!"

"I do!"

Neptune arrived and stood in front of Gil. "Stop this, Gilly. Don't go through with this!"

Gil looked at Neptune with a pained expression before he started struggling again. Neptune moved towards him and also held his right arm. Similar to Uzume, Neptune hugged Gil with her other arm. "Gilly, stop this right now!"

"Why?!"

Orange Heart started pulling him backwards. "You don't have to kill him, Gilsy!"

"Yeah, yeah! You don't have to become a killer…" Faust had suddenly spoken up.

Gil glared down at him, causing Faust to shut his mouth. Gil then spoke in an eerily cold voice. "You think I haven't done that before?!"

These words impacted into Neptune and Orange Heart. Orange Heart stared off at a wall while Neptune stared straight into Gil's eyes, with him staring off to the left to avoid eye contact. None of them were struggling anymore, and Gil let his hand drop.

Orange Heart briefly tightened her grip around his body before breaking away and standing next to Neptune. "You… You've… Killed someone before, Gilsy?" Gil closed his eyes and nodded slowly while still looking to his left. Neptune and Orange Heart continued to stare at him for some time.

Neptune darted her eyes around the floor. "W-Well… you don't have to do that now." She spoke calmly. "We can leave him and this place. He won't bother us again."

Gil then looked at the two girls in front of him. He unsummoned his sword and looked towards Faust. "I want to tell him something."

Neptune and Orange Heart looked between each other.

Orange Heart nodded slowly. "Okay…"

"Alright.", said Neptune.

Gil nodded at them and headed for Faust. He kneeled down in front of Faust and glared at him. "You deserve to die." Faust, who was propping himself up with both arms, didn't reply. "Don't come near us again. Don't look into us, don't follow us, and don't touch us. If you do, I will kill you."

Neptune and Orange Heart walked besides Gil, with Orange Heart kneeling besides him and holding his shoulder. Faust briefly looked between the two girls. Gil thrust his left hand forward, grabbing Faust by the scruff of his neck and pulling him closer. Orange Heart worryingly reached forward and grabbed onto his arm.

But Gil didn't attack or speak. He only stared at Faust. After a few moments, Gil let go, letting Faust fall onto his back.

Orange Heart continued holding onto Gil's arm as it fell. "Let's go get Rensy, Gilsy…"

Gil stared at Faust for another moment before rising to his feet. "Okay."

The three of them started to walk towards Renna, who was still strapped in her chair. Neptune and Gil walked while Orange heart floated around them. She started doing flips and twirls to lighten the mood.

"Don't worry about it, Gilly. We've all done our fair share of fighting and stuff. So really, don't worry about the killing thing.", said Neptune.

Orange Heart floated in front of Gil. "Please don't feel bad, Gilsy! Even I've done that to someone before. Remember the dream I showed you? And, and… I helped do that to an old purple meany before."

"See, see! I also kinda sorta helped with that. And maybe I've done stuff that wasn't mentioned in the games! The author won't know about that, and even though I do, I'm not spilling the pudding on that one~.", said Neptune, smiling smugly.

Gil shook his head. "I'm not worried about it. I just… didn't expect to say it like that, out of nowhere."

Neptune raised an eyebrow. "Really really?"

Orange Heart also raised an eyebrow. "Really really really?"

"Yes, really."

Orange Heart held her arms in the air as she continued to float around. "Yay!"

Neptune patted Gil on the back. "That's good to hear."

Gil briefly smiled at them and then took to watching Orange Heart as she floated past. She was smiling all the time, and would sometimes hum to herself. For Gil, it was oddly… satisfying to watch her fly around. It was… nice. "You're really… different in this form, Uzume."

"I am? Teeheehee~." Orange Heart rubbed the back of her head in a bashful way.

"Or she's just much more honest.", said Neptune.

Orange Heart took a curious face, looking at Neptune. "Nepsy, why're your clothes ripped?"

Neptune looked down at herself before waving her hands out. "Uh, that, yeah, um… just a tussle with some dudes when we first got here. We sorted them out, don't worry."

Orange Heart nodded while twirling around her two companions. She then floated in front of them while moving backwards. She brandished a wide smile. "I'm so happy that you two came to save us! What would I have done without you guys?"

"I'm sure you coulda gotten outta here without our help.", said Neptune.

"That's not the point! You did this, and that's super-duper cool!"

"It's what we're supposed to do.", said Gil.

Orange Heart looked at him and noticed the red marks by his left and right shoulders. She floated closer to him with a worried face. "Oh no, Gilsy! What happened there?! And there?!"

Gil had to stop in his tracks, and Neptune stopped as well. "We were fighting three people, one of them managed to stab me with a knife. I'm fine, though."

"You don't look it! It's all red and not good!"

"I really am fine. Neptune gave me a bottle to drink after I was… shot here." Gil pointed to his left shoulder.

"You were shot?!"

"…I was."

"Oh no, you really need to be more careful, Gilsy!" Orange Heart leaned forwards while her hands were on her hips.

"I'll… try to do that next time."

Orange Heart nodded at him while half lidding her eyes, pouting all the while. She then lowered to the floor and walked to the right of Gil. The three of them all kept walking, and were approaching Renna. "Thank you for listening to us back there…", said Orange Heart. She suddenly hugged at the right side of Gil, which caught him off guard. Gil, not knowing what to do, could only stare down at Orange Heart.

Neptune put a hand to her mouth and giggled lightly. "What, you're not gonna return that, Gilly? All embarrassed, are you?" Gil looked to his left, seeing that Neptune was enjoying this. "She's simply showing her gratitude. Nothing weird about that."

Even if that was the reason why, Gil was still not used to it. He sighed to himself before he slowly, gently, placed his right arm around Orange Heart to return the hug. Orange Heart seemed to like that, and squeezed into Gil.

"O…Okay, Uzume, thank you for stopping me.", said Gil.

Orange Heart looked up at Gil and smiled. She let go of him and flew off towards Renna.

"Yup, definitely more open like that.", mumbled Neptune, looking on as Orange Heart flew off. "We should probably go as well, right?"

"...Yes."

Renna was still strapped down in her chair, and she was still asleep. Gil walked in front of the chair and lowered down onto his left knee. Orange Heart was behind her while Neptune was standing to the right of Gil. Neptune raised a finger. "First, we break her restraints. Anybody want a go? Don't want to hurt her or anything…"

Orange Heart raised a hand. "I'll do it!" She then grabbed onto Renna's restraints and pulled upwards, snapping them apart.

Gil reached forward, placing his right hand on Renna's left. "Renna…" He squeezed her hand, trying to wake her up.

Neptune had an epiphany. "I know what'll do the trick!" She walked towards Renna and stretched her right arm out towards Renna's head, holding it there. She looked to Gil. "Just bear with me, alright?"

"...Okay."

Neptune then proceeded to rapidly flick at Renna's forehead. Gil opened his mouth as if to protest, but Orange Heart put a finger to her mouth as if to keep him quiet. After a few seconds of flicking, Renna's face started to move, pulling away from Neptune's attack. Neptune then reached forward with her left hand and started to rapidly flick at Renna with two fingers. Renna started to move her head around faster, making irritated expressions while she did so.

"S-Stop hitting me already!", shouted out Renna, opening her eyes suddenly. She was still in a bit of a daze. She looked around in a confused manner and saw Neptune leaning towards her with a satisfied face. "N-Neptune? What…" Shethen remembered what had happened. "You came… to rescue us?"

"Not just me! Gilly, too!" Neptune moved away to reveal Gil, who was still kneeling down. The two siblings stared at each other for a moment, with Gil smiling at her. "Hey, Renna."

Renna blinked at him a few times before pushing herself off of her chair, falling into Gil with a hug. He caught her and returned the gesture, keeping them both upright. "Hi Gilly…" The two of them remained like that for a few moments.

Orange Heart raised her hands to her chest. "Aww, that's so nice!"

Neptune crossed her arms and nodded. "Yup. It sure is."

"And it's a whole big family reunion. Yay.", said Croire, in her usual voice.

"Glad you could join us again."

The siblings pulled away from each other. Renna looked around at Gil's body, particularly the red marks by his shoulders. "Gilly… What happened?"

"We'll explain that later. For now, we need to move before anything else happens."

"Where's…" Renna looked around. She spotted Faust, who was still on the floor. She stared at him for some time, taking an aggressive face, although none of the others could see that. She then turned around, facing her companions with a smile. She eyed Croire for a moment. "So… what now?"

"Right now, we get back to our place. Then we go to Dusty's shop, and then to his place.", explained Neptune.

"I… guess that is what we should do, yeah." Renna looked up at Gil. Gil offered her a hand, and she took it. He pulled Renna up to her feet. "Please, uh, catch me up on what happened while I was out, okay?"

"Of course!", said Orange Heart. Renna looked to her and smiled appreciatively.

Neptune smirked at Orange Heart. "Maybe you should transform back into your normal form before we leave…"

"Oh!" She then disengaged her HDD, and in her place stood Uzume. "Feels good to get into that form once in a while."

"Croire, if you would please take us back to our room…", asked Neptune.

"Yeah, yeah, gimme a sec."

"You… You really think I'll stop here?!", shouted Faust, out of nowhere. Everyone looked to him.

"You will if you know what's good for you!", shouted Uzume. "Unless you wanna get your face busted in, I'd sit down and stay down!"

"Gilly here's already said what'd happen if you continued, and you don't want that to happen, I imagine?", said Neptune.

Faust looked at Gil, who was glaring at him. He then looked towards Renna, who was staring at him with equal intensity. He narrowed his eyes, staring out for a moment. He then quickly looked to the left, as if reluctantly accepting what was offered.

"Good. That's what I thought, ya scum.", said Uzume. Faust glared back at her before looking away again.

Croire opened a portal. "All set and ready to go. Let's get a move on, people." Faust looked at the portal with great surprise and intrigue.

Uzume made a mock salute at Faust. "Later, loser!"

Neptune waved at Faust before leaving."Adios, no amigo!"

"So long, sucka.", said Croire, before she floated through the portal.

Renna and Gil turned to leave, walking towards the portal. Just before they left, Renna looked at Faust from over her left shoulder. Her eyes seemed to be darker than they usually were. And then they were gone, with the portal closing behind them. Faust, who was standing up at this point, looked at where the portal previously was while thinking.

He was displeased. Very displeased. He quickly walked towards his table, sitting down while grabbing his phone. He dialed a number, leaning back in the chair as it rang. "Hey. Yeah, it's me. Things didn't go as I wanted them to. But we can do this again, right? We can? Good. How soon? Geez, that's quick. Then do it then. I won't be having these people escape me. Especially not for a second time. Nobody does that to me, and I'll make them know it."

Faust continued to talk on the phone for a few minutes. He then put the phone down and leaned forward in his chair, resting his arms on the table. "You really think you can get away from me?" He then stood up and walked towards the door. "Even if you have a CPU on your side." He walked through the hallway, heading for the stairs. "I will get what I want, like usual. And nobody can stop me."

* * *

**Oooh, I wonder what'll happen next? We'll see.**

**So yeah, was that alright? I hope so. I hope the fights were fluid, and that you could all keep track of what was happening, since I haven't named all the enemies… Hope it's easy to follow!**

**Orange Heart appeared again! She's always fun to write. And she got to fight! Let me know if I gave her justice, and if she felt in character. ****And yeah, Gil's little thing that he mentioned. Wonder what's that about? It'll all be explained at some point, don't worry. Let me know, maybe!**

**But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one! And the next ones!**

**So yeah.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	27. Change of Pace

**Hello again. A bit late this time, sorry about that.**

**This one's more of a relaxed chapter. You'll see. It's ****also a bit shorter than the others. **

**So yeah.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 26:**

"I'm so tired!" Neptune plopped herself down on her bed, closing her eyes while lying on her back. She had her pajamas on. She suddenly opened her eyes and pouted at the roof. "Hey, you! Yeah, you! The person with the face! Yeah, you know who you are. I'm talking about you. Yes, you. As in you, reader. Yeah."

Neptune crossed her arms as she continued to look up at the roof, taking a slightly smug face. "Oh, and by the way, you know how it says "Neptune?" This time it's not the big one. It's me, the smaller Neptune! Been a while, huh?"

She briefly sighed to herself. "Yeah, yeah, I know that it's been a while. You've been following those other four, I know. Development and all that good story stuff. But now, all of a sudden, it's back to me! The main charac- Yeah, you get it." Neptune put her arms behind her head. "Can't say I really like not being in the spotlight, but… what can you do? It'll come back soon! I swear it!" She pointed up to the ceiling and then let her arms fall, resting above her head.

Outside, the sky was dark. Nighttime had come, and the time was after nine. Neptune heard the door to her room opening and lifted her head up to look at it.

Nepgear slowly opened the door, smiling as she saw Neptune. "Hey, sis." She walked over to Neptune's bed.

Neptune lifted the rest of her body up, planting her hands on her knees. "Hiya, Nep Jr. What's up?"

Nepgear sat down at the edge of the bed. She, too, had her pajamas on. "Nothing, really…"

"Nothing? Not even some breathing or blinking?"

Nepgear briefly giggled to herself. "You're so weird and funny, sis."

"Thanks. But for real though, what's going on with you and your life?"

"Nothing… special. I did some training today, along with Uni. We tried out my newest project together."

"And how'd that go for ya?"

"Really well! I made these small devices that float around me. They're shaped like arrowheads, they're so cool… B-But anyway, they can shoot out lasers and collectively send out a forcefield around me."

"Cool, cool."

"Did you do any training today?"

"I did! Kinda…"

"What… do you mean?"

"W-Well, I kinda sorta went to Leanbox to train with Vert. Blanc was there too, and she joined us. But we walked around the city for a bit, I saw this food place, and…"

"Please tell me you didn't forget about training…"

"I didn't! But… after we ate and stuff, I felt so stuffed! So I got tired and stuff…"

Nepgear sighed to herself and shook her head. "Tomorrow, we're training together! We'll do some quests from the Guild."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes! We haven't done something like that in a while, so it'll be fun."

Well… She wasn't wrong… "Then yeah, I'm up for it. Tomorrow it is! We'll slice 'em and dice 'em, and stuff like that. Or, you know, generic fetch quest stuff."

"Gathering ingredients and making deliveries are still important, sis…"

"I know, but like, they're so boring!"

"Yeah, so boring!", said Adult Neptune.

"Exactly! Just like my bigger self…" Wait… what?! "What the Nep you came outta nowhere how is this possible huh?!"

"W-What the goodness?!"

To the left of the bed stood the bigger Neptune. She had just jumped through a portal that appeared in the wall, which promptly closed. She spun around and held her arms to the side, smiling warmly at the two people in front of her. "Hiya! Been a while! Well, not for the readers… But for you two, definitely!"

The smaller Neptune and Nepgear both got up and ran to her and gave her a hug. They all separated, with the smaller Neptune talking first. "What brings you to our humble abode, oh great and powerful big Nep?"

"Good reason, my little Nep! I come here seeking information, as well as the giving of it!"

"N-Neptune…", muttered Nepgear.

Both Neptune's looked at Nepgear. "Yes?"

"Oh… this makes it more complicated…"

"But come, come, sit down with us!", said small Neptune. She then looked around and walked closer to the bed. She sat on the floor while leaning against her bed.

Big Neptune nodded. "Oooh, I'm down for that." She followed small Neptune's steps and sat in front of her.

"Goodness…", mumbled Nepgear. She walked over to both Neptunes and sat next to the smaller one.

Big Neptune rocked around. "So… What's up?"

"I could ask you the same thing!", said small Neptune.

"Not that much has happened on our end…", explained Nepgear. "We've mostly been training, getting stronger, doing quests and helping our nations."

Small Neptune pointed at her sister. "There was that one thing, Nepgear."

Big Neptune cocked her head to the right. "One thing? What sort of vague reference to a past event is that?"

Nepgear took a moment before explaining. "S-So, a few days ago… You know Uni, Rom and Ram?"

"Yup yup. The other little sisters."

"We went out questing together here in Planeptune. We went out with the intention of practicing new techniques, and we did, but we also did something else."

"Like what?"

"We went to this mysterious old castle in the middle of a lake found to the North of Planeptune. It's name is LAN Castle, and we've been there before when dealing with an issue in the past. There was this man who gave us a request. He was very suspicious, but we accepted it anyway. He was the one who asked us to go to the castle. He wanted us to retrieve this ancient sword, so… we did. We entered the castle and had to go to the bottom floor. When we did, we found a locked door. It was sealed by magic, so… we unsealed it."

Big Neptune smirked. "So… breaking and entering?"

"N-Nothing like that! We're not thieves! Goodness…"

"I kid. Please go on. This is probably important plot stuff. Probably."

Small Neptune nodded quickly. "Probably."

"A-Anyway, we entered the room. It was very creepy, and it was dark… We walked through it, saw the sword implanted in the wall and I pulled it out. It was weird… I felt like I was in a trance when I held it in my hands. But I stored it in my inventory and we went back to the Guild. That's where we would meet the man who gave us the request. But… He wasn't there when we arrived. We waited for a long time, but he never arrived. So… we all went back to our nations."

Big Neptune looked very interested. "What else, what else?!"

"I asked Histoire to investigate the sword, and she found that… well, it's not nice, but this sword gets stronger if it is used to kill a CPU."

"What the Nep?! That's, like, super uncool! Why would something like that even need to be made?"

"We don't know… We still have to find that out, somehow."

Big Neptune crossed her arms. "Sounds to me like that guy wanted you to have the sword. What'd he look like?"

"Well, he had purple robes and I couldn't see his face. He had a veil over it. Even his hands were covered with the robes. He had one golden line that stretched around his body from shoulder to shoulder. He also spoke very politely. And that's all we know."

Small Neptune leaned back on her hands. Sounds to me like he's some cultist or whatever. Hey, hey, that's actually something that could happen! Like, a secret cult that wants a single Goddess to rule over Gamindustri. Or something like that."

Nepgear shifted in her position. "That's…"

"Yup, not a good thought. Let's move on. What's up with my bigger self?"

"Oh, nothing- No, actually, there is stuff happenin' on my end. Not good things."

Nepgear held a hand to her chest. "Oh no…"

Small Neptune raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Imma tell you some good things first. Or do you want to hear the bad things first?"

"I think we should get the bad stuff outta the way, then go on to the good stuff."

"I agree.", nodded Nepgear.

"Okay then… So Renna and Uzume were kidnapped."

If the smaller Neptune had been drinking anything, she would've spat it out. "What in the Nep?! What sort of weird development is this?! What, how?! Why?!"

"P-Please, let her speak, sis."

"So Renna was getting something made for Gil, which I'll get to later, and she kinda sorta got involved with this guy. He's part of a gang, his dad's the leader of it apparently, yada yada. This guy, Faust's his name, wanted what was being made for Gil. He offered plenty of stuff, but Renna refused. He persisted for a few days, and eventually… well, Uzume punched him in the face, another day he tried to grab at Renna, with Gil pulling his sword on him."

"So things got violent…", said Nepgear.

"Doesn't sound like that cool of a dude.", said small Neptune.

"He's not. So, needless to say, this Faust guy was probably super pissed. The day after the confrontation, Gil woke me up to say that Renna and Uzume had been kidnapped. There was this note that Faust left, so he wanted us to find him."

"And then, and then?"

"And then… we went to find them. We asked this blacksmith guy Renna knows well, since he was kinda involved with Faust and his gang before, and he helped us find them. Croire was also a super big help."

"So is she a good guy now?"

"Seems like it. She has her moments, but she's sticking with us and helps us out sometimes."

"Thank goodness… I'm glad she's not causing any more trouble.", said Nepgear.

"Oh, she still wants to see interesting stuff. Oh, and by the way, Croire knows about Renna and Gil, too. She was involved with them way back when Tari was still a thing. Don't exactly know how. But it's a thing."

Nepgear held her chin with a hand. "That's interesting. I also wonder how Croire knows them. Croire was with Rei all that time ago, so maybe she had something to do with when Renna and Gil were…"

"I think that's a good guess, even if I don't know about everything that happened to those two back then. But yeah, myself and Gilly…"

Small Neptune smirked at her counterpart. "Gilly?"

"Yeah, that's what I call him. And Renny for Renna. Uzume calls them Gilsy and Rensy, it's cute. But anyway, yeah, Gilly and I went to rescue them. So we warped around the place, found what we were looking for, did some breaking and entering, and eventually got Renna and Uzume back."

"So everything ended up going well… That's great!", said Nepgear.

"A-About that… I mean, we got into a few fights here and there. Most I went through was having my clothes ripped in places and stuff."

Small Neptune held her hands together. "Oooh, so like, fanservice and stuff?"

"Exactly!"

"But your clothes don't seem to be damaged…", observed Nepgear.

"That's 'cus Gilly fixed them up for me. How'd he do that, I hear you ask? Well, he has this light power that allows him to sort of turn back time. When I asked him, he gave me this whole explanation of it. But it takes a ton of energy, so he's resting now."

"Huh. I'd like to see that.", said small Neptune.

"So yeah. Gil's a good guy, you know. When my clothes were ripped by these two dudes, he came in and sorted them out. He did sorta break their bones though. He, uh, can be a little extreme sometimes. He can also take a hit. He was stabbed in his shoulder, shot in the other one, had some chemicals shot into him, all that stuff."

Small Neptune rubbed at her arm. "Figured as much… His sister was the same when we fought before."

"And… yeah. We saved Renna and Uzume. And at the end, Gil threatened to kill Faust. Yup, back to the extreme thing. But Uzume and I stopped him!"

Nepgear clutched her chest. "Oh, thank goodness… I-Is that all the bad information?"

"I think so? Hmmm… Yup! So onto the good stuff. So like, Renna had these two gauntlets made for Gilly. They're super cool and they're made of the same stuff that their other weapons are made out of. Really old, ancient metal. We've all gotten much closer. We've found out about each other, spent time with each other, lived together, played games together, fought together…"

Big Neptune paused for a moment. "We relaxed in a hot spring together, which was nice. We also went out questing together when we were still in Lastation. We're in Lowee now, by the way, but we'll be leaving soon. But anyway, something interesting happened on that quest. We found this floating light thing, Renna touched it, and she collapsed. She hasn't told us about it, but I think that there could be more to it."

"T-That's a lot of information…", said Nepgear.

Big Neptune reached down her left leg. "Yup! Told ya that we've gotten closer! Oh, and also…" She revealed the strap on her leg which had the holster to her gun. But also something else… "We all got matching accessories! Like the ones in Uzume's hair! I have mine hear, Renny has one on her necklace, and Gilly has one attached to his pants by a chain. It's all cool and screams "We're a team!" and stuff."

Nepgear smiled. "That sounds very nice. I'm glad you've all gotten closer, as friends."

"So where are you guys off to next?", asked small Neptune.

"We're heading to Planeptune! The other one. Not sure what exactly we're gonna do there, but it'll be fun! Exploration, bonding, all those shenanigans."

"Ooooh, shenanigans!"

"Yup, yup. We were planning on exploring the dimension from the get-go, after all.", said big Neptune. She got up from the floor.

Nepgear looked at her with a sad expression. "Are you leaving now?"

"Yup. Gotta get back soon. Uzume wants me to help with unpacking everything, and I gotta go check up on Gilly. Although, Renny's probably keeping a close eye on him. They're really close, I can tell you that."

Small Neptune got to her feet. "Aww, Nep. But you just got here! Can't you even stay around for a pudding?"

"I'd really love to, but I can't. Don't wanna keep 'em waiting for me!"

"At least you were able to visit. You told us plenty of information, too.", said Nepgear, who was now standing.

"I'll try to make it longer next time." They all embraced each other in a hug for a few moments before separating. A portal appeared in the same location as it had before, and big Neptune started to walk through it. "Take care of yourselves!"

"See ya!", waved small Neptune.

"Goodbye.", said Nepgear.

With that, the bigger Neptune jumped through the portal, which then closed in on itself.

"Hopefully she does come back for longer next time.", said Nepgear.

"I hope so too. But right now, I'm tired. I think it's time for bed, sis o' mine."

"Yup. Especially since we will be questing tomorrow."

Neptune made a peace sign with her right hand. "I won't forget it! You can count on that!"

"Okay then. I'll turn the light off now." Neptune slumped onto her bed and pulled the blanket over herself. "Goodnight, sis.", called out Nepgear, before she turned the lights off.

"See ya in the mornin', Nepgear. Goodnight."

* * *

**Morning:**

It was a sunny day. No clouds were nearby, and the sun was shining brightly. Neptune and Nepgear were in the living quarters of the Basilicom.

"You all set and ready to go?", asked Neptune.

"Yup! Everything's set. I've already told Histoire that we'll be going, so we can leave right now."

"Alrighty tighty. Let's go!" Neptune and Nepgear walked through onto the platform that shot off from the building. They then transformed, nodded to each other, and shot off into the air. "What're we doing today, sis?", asked Nepgear.

"We're going to see what extermination quests there are. After that, we'll see." They continued to fly through the air, and in a few minutes time, both of them were outside of a Guild. They returned to base form, greeting any civilians that said hello. Neptune put her hands behind her head."Ahh, it's so nice to see the people recognize me and my amazing deeds!",

"I-I think you could afford to do more of those things, sis…"

"I do enough!"

They entered the Guild and walked up to the first employee at the booth. Neptune placed her hands on the counter. "Lookin' for some fighting quests! Got any?" They spent a few minutes there, talking amongst each other as they sorted out what they would do for the day. "Now then, Nepgear! Times a wastin'!"

"Right. Where to first?"

"Our first location would be…"

* * *

**Otori Cave:**

"Nice transition!", said Neptune, giving a thumbs up.

"Neptune, please be serious."

"Right, right, that word. So we got some fairly simple stuff on the agenda. Take out some little cat thingies and also go up against any rare enemies we find. And that's that!"

"That really is simple. We… are going to do other quests, right?"

"We will be! Got some other stuff to do, but for now, onwards onto this cave! I wonder if we find any diamonds? Did you bring any torches?"

"W-We're gathering materials, too?"

"Nope, just some references. Although, if we do find any rare items, I wouldn't mind gathering them."

"Please can we prioritize the enemies, sis." Nepgear pulled out her energy blade, holding it to her right side.

"Speaking of which…" Neptune pulled her katana out.

In front of the duo, five small, cat-like creatures appeared. They stood on their back paws, and in their front paws they had metal claws. They all had blue fur with dirty white bellies. They all wore orange helmets that resembled knight helmets, except they only covered the top half of the face. On the back of their heads they had three fin-like protrusions that ran down from the top of their heads. They were also blue, and there were flame patterns on the sides of the fins.

Neptune rushed in to the fight. "Time to Nep em' up! Let's start this off with a Critical Edge!" She singled out an enemy and swiped across it. She then sent it up into the air with a slice, and looked up at it. She pulled her blade backwards and held it at her left side. As the enemy fell to the ground, Neptune dashed forwards at lightning speed, cutting through the enemy, which shattered into crystals.

Nepgear ran forwards and initiated her Panzer Blade. She jumped into the air, slicing at an enemy below her from her right. She sliced at it three more times, and then spun around, slicing through the enemy for a final time. "Three left."

One of the cats approached Neptune while swinging wildly at her. Neptune had to block the flurry with her sword, meeting the claws with the blade of her sword. A beam of energy shot through the enemy, and Neptune looked to her left to see Nepgear pointing her sword at where the enemy once was. "Thanks!" Neptune then rushed past Nepgear.

The two remaining enemies were running towards Neptune, so she thought to meet them partway through. "Two on one doesn't seem so hard!" After deftly blocking a sideways swipe from her left, Neptune spun around while kicking the other cat in it's helmet, making it recoil backwards. The other enemy thrust both of its claws at Neptune, who moved to the left to dodge. As she did so, she swung her katana upwards, cutting through both arms of the cat. Neptune followed through by shifting her blade to the left and swinging her sword downwards. A diagonal cut from the right shoulder to the left leg of the cat enemy appeared, and it soon disappeared into crystals.

Neptune saw that the last enemy was getting up, and that Nepgear was running towards it. "Oh no you don't!" Neptune dashed towards the enemy. Neptune held her blade to her left side, and as she reached the enemy, she swung upwards and sent the enemy into the air. She jumped up to meet it and sent a single, horizontal slice through the enemy's abdomen. When Neptune landed on the ground, she looked at Nepgear with a smile. "No kill stealing here, missy!"

"D-Does it really matter?"

"Yup! My KD has to keep on improving, you know."

"O-Okay then… Can we keep going?"

"Yessy! Forward, march!" The duo ventured deeper into the cave. It was a wide cave, with the rock of it being a very, very dark blue. Throughout the entire space, one could see glowing crystals of assorted shapes, sizes and colours lining the walls, roof, and paths. "Is this where we choose a crystal to decide the colour of our beam saber?"

"This isn't set in a galaxy far, far away, sis…" They kept walking through the cave. There were railings that blocked off the edges of the paths. There were also some bridges and teleporters throughout the cave. The structures were all purple with pinky-bluey lights. There were a few side paths to traverse, but the main path led down into a large, flat area with a short bridge at the opposite end. But there was another group of cats in the way.

"Nepgear, you take this one." Neptune promptly sat down with her arms behind her.

Nepgear sighed to herself while brandishing her beam saber, holding it to her right while walking forward. There were four enemies this time. Nepgear then charged forward, holding her weapon with both hands. She ran forwards, spinning around to her right while lifting her sword to uppercut an enemy. The attack connected, and Nepgear sliced across the enemy twice while in the air, making it disappear. Upon landing, Nepgear was met with a jumping cat. She held her blade out in front of herself to block an upwards slice, and held that stance for a moment.

Nepgear eventually pushed the enemy off, only to be knocked to her right from another enemy. She had been shoulder charged and had fallen over. Nepgear looked towards Neptune and saw her minding her own business, looking around and pointing at things. Nepgear narrowed her eyes at this. She did want Neptune's attention, sometimes… Another test run would be fine, if it got Neptune's attention. "Neptune, look here!"

"What, what? What's happenin'?"

Nepgear then summoned three arrowhead shaped devices that floated around her. She got up from the floor and pointed in front of her. "Watch this!" The devices floated around Nepgear and pointed at the three remaining enemies. The devices then started to fire pinky-purple lasers at them. Two of them were immediately struck by a few shots, disintegrating them. The last one managed to dodge the lasers, and ran towards Nepgear.

Nepgear held her left arm in front of her, her palm facing the creature while her fingers were outstretched. The three devices went to work. Together they formed a triangle in front of Nepgear and projected an energy field in the triangle, creating a protective barrier. Nepgear moved her left hand about, and the devices seemed to follow her movements. "The tracking works! Yay!" The creature was almost upon Nepgear, and it started to roll incredibly fast while moving across the ground.

"I mean, it does resemble a certain blue hedgehog…", muttered Neptune.

Nepgear eyed the creature and then held her left hand out towards the enemy, making the energy shield move in front of it. The enemy collided with the energy shield and pushed against it. Nepgear strained herself to keep the shield up, forcing her left arm forward. With a great push, she managed to throw the enemy away. She then moved her left arm forward again, and the devices went into action.

Still in shield formation, the devices flew towards the enemy and lowered onto it. This pinned the cat to the ground, as it could not move away from the energy shield. Nepgear ran up to it, and with a quick, precise thrust to the head, finished the last enemy. The shield rose up from the ground and returned to floating around Nepgear, who smiled to herself. "That was a great success!" She was satisfied with the second test run of the day.

She turned to face Neptune, who was now standing on her feet while clapping. "Bravo, Nep Jr., bravo! Those look like some pretty nifty pieces of machinery."

"They are! I'm still working on them, but I think that they're coming along great! So… you think that they're cool?"

"Of course I do! Anything you make is bound to be cool, in some way or another. Probably."

"Yay!"

The two of them walked down the main path, crossing the bridge that led to a small, circular area. There were three cat enemies there. "Huh, even fewer than before. Guess I'll have a go this time.", said Neptune.

"Okay then." Nepgear stood back onto the bridge.

Neptune summoned her katana and stepped forward. "Up we go!" She jumped into the air with her sword raised above herself. The three enemies all looked up at Neptune, bracing themselves. Neptune then coated her sword with electricity and fell to the floor. She brought her sword down, making it strike the rocky surface. A small explosion of electricity later, Neptune was left standing with no enemies around her.

"Wow… T-That was really quick…", said Nepgear.

"Kinda anticlimactic. I expected at least one of them to make it. Guess I'm just too strong, huh?" Neptune smiled smugly to herself while putting her right hand under her chin.

Nepgear briefly angled her eyebrows upwards, and then returned to her normal expression. "I think that's all."

"So it's time to book it!" Nepgear nodded, and the duo turned to retrace their steps. "Wait, wait, wait a minute, there's a big blue thing in the way.", said Neptune, pointing towards her.

In the middle of the large, flat area, a large, circular shape was bobbing up and down.

"It's a large dogoo!", said Nepgear.

"This one even has a crown on it! Hah, it looks so silly."

"We should probably fight it, right?"

"Right. Here we go!" Neptune rushed forward, pointing her katana at the giant dogoo. The dogoo was facing them, and continued to bounce up and down on the spot. "Hi-yah!" Neptune swung into it. She cut straight through the monster, making some slime fall from it. "Guess with this size, a simple cut won't do the trick."

Nepgear had jumped into the air. "Then we'll have to overwhelm it with many!" She jumped over the huge dogoo and flipped the handle of her weapon in her hand while she did so, holding the blade backwards instead of forwards. As she reached the top of the dogoo, she thrust her sword into the creature. She then slid down the dogoo, causing a long slice as she lowered to the floor. She landed on her feet, facing away from the monster, but quickly dashed back towards it. She performed a single slice to the right of the dogoo before flipping her sword around again, and then sliced to the right.

Neptune ran to her right, slicing at the dogoo as she moved around it without stopping her attacks. She then jumped into the air and initiated her 32 Bit Megablade. A large blue sword appeared above the dogoo and plummeted into it. The two Planeptunian CPUs continued to slice at the creature, jumping around it and attacking all the while. With a final slice that was charged with electricity, Neptune sent the finishing blow. The large dogoo dissipated in a flash of light, leaving only crystals in its departure. "And that settles that! Rare monster, done. Can check that off the list."

"Yes. But we still have other quests to do, sis."

"I know, I haven't forgotten. But like, I'm really sure that the readers don't want to see us going to dungeon A, kill stuff, go to dungeon B, kill more stuff, and then repeat for, like, five more times. Grinding isn't always fun, ya know?"

"I… guess?"

"Exactly! So, uh, can we kinda do the skip thing now? Please?"

* * *

**A few hours later, Planeptune City:**

"Thanks."

"We still have one more thing to do, sis, so don't forget about that.", said Nepgear.

"I know, I know. Simple delivery thingy. Piece of cake!" The duo were walking through the bustling streets of Planeptune. The sky was still blue with a few small clouds darting through the sky. "Ooh, ooh, Nep Jr.! Can you spot any formations in the clouds?"

Nepgear looked up at the sky, looking around at the few clouds that were present. "Not really, sis."

They continued to venture through the city. "Hey, are they…" Neptune put her hands to her eyes as if they were binoculars. "Hey, Nep Jr.! I spot some party members!" Neptune then started to run forward, with Nepgear following soon after. "D-Don't run off so suddenly, sis!"

They ran for a few seconds before returning back to a walking pace. In front of the duo was a three person group who was facing away from them. In it was IF, Compa, and Rei.

Neptune waved at them heartily. "Hey, Iffy! Compa!" IF and Compa turned around to see Neptune briskly walking towards them, with Nepgear following. Rei turned around after a second, and was seemingly surprised by the Planeptune CPUs suddenly approaching them.

"Oh, it's Nep-Nep and Ge-Ge!"

IF smirked at the duo. "And what brings you two here, huh? Don't tell me that Nep's actually doing work for once?"

Neptune crossed her arms in a dramatic way, looking to IF with a smile. "I actually am doing work! I'll have you know that I'm on a special delivery!"

"So you're a glorified errand Goddess?"

Neptune fell flat onto her stomach. "Oogh… You're so mean, Iffy."

IF smiled and helped Neptune to her feet. "And how're you, Gear? Been doing all the heavy lifting?"

Neptune started to fall over again, but Nepgear ran up behind her and grabbed her, keeping her upright. "No. Neptune and I have both been contributing a lot today."

"What sort of quests were you doing?", asked Compa.

"Mostly monster slaying quests, although we did gather a few materials that the Guild needed."

Neptune stood up straight from her sister's grasp, lifting a finger while talking. "I think the running joke about me not being able to work should come to an end! I'm clearly doing a lot!"

"Yeah, maybe when you can do office work.", commented IF.

"H-Hey!"

"She's got a point, sis…"

"Completing paperwork is also important for running the country, Nep-Nep!"

"I know… Well what've you done today, huh?!"

IF smiled at Neptune, holding her left arm out to her side. "We've just been going around the city with Rei here."

Neptune and Nepgear both looked to Rei. A brief moment passed by without a word before Neptune pointed at Rei with finger guns. "What's up?"

"Hello, Rei. How are you?", greeted Nepgear.

Rei looked between the two CPUs somewhat nervously, but then smiled at them. "Hello, you two. I'm… I'm doing really well, all things considered." Rei glanced at IF and Compa.

Neptune gave Rei a toothy smile, and Nepgear continued talking. "So… how has it been to live in this dimension?"

"It's… a big change for sure. But it's really nice."

"Ri-Ri's been staying with us ever since we brought her here, and she fits right in!"

"Yeah. Let's hope that she doesn't get too popular, though.", said IF.

"Watcha mean by that, Iffy? Scared she'll be more popular than you on the next poll?", asked Neptune.

IF crossed her arms. "As if. I was more popular than you, once upon a time."

Neptune pouted at IF while Nepgear spoke. "But… what do you mean by that?"

IF looked at Rei and Compa before answering. "Thing is, when we were back in the Ultradimension, Rei was being tailed. We walked through Planeptune over there, and for most of the day people were watching her. And not the good kind of watching."

"Like stalking…"

"Exactly. I tried approaching one of these people, but they ran away. Couldn't get to them in time."

Neptune clasped her face in shock. "What?! I thought you had the highest AGI stat in the game?!"

IF narrowed her eyes at Neptune. "I lost them in a crowd. No distinguishable features either. She was entirely normal looking."

"M-Maybe it's just…", started Nepgear, but couldn't continue.

Compa beamed at Rei. "Maybe she does have a fanclub! Ri-Ri could be super popular online!"

"I-I don't think I am! I hope not…"

"What could it be…", pondered Nepgear.

"I dunno, but I'll be investigating into it soon.", said IF.

The five people stood in silence for a moment, thinking about all that was just said. "But enough of that! Do you have to do anything else, Nep-Nep?"

"Yeah. Just gotta do the one delivery I mentioned, then I'm donezo."

IF held a hand ouyt. "Mind if we join you?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever floats your boat." Neptune looked to see Nepgear nod in approval. Compa also nodded, and Rei did too after her. Neptune raised a fist into the air. "Then let's a-go!" The group of five all walked through the city, and were in a section with many shops and large buildings.

Neptune looked towards Rei. "So wathca think about my nation, huh?"

Rei thought about what to say before replying. "It's… Well, the people are nice. Everything is much more advanced than it is in the other dimension. It looks similar, but there are some slight differences."

"See! It's a good place!"

"M-Maybe a bit low on Shares…"

"Working is hard."

IF huffed. "As if you'd know."

"What've you done since you got here?", asked Nepgear.

"I've mostly… been with IF and Compa. We would go out sometimes, whether it be going to get something to eat or simply them giving me a tour. It's… enjoyable."

"Ever thought of training?", asked Neptune.

Rei blinked at Neptune with a dumbfounded expression. "W-What?!"

"You know. Get stronger. Get goin' on the whole fighting thing? Maybe help us when we need it?"

"I-I don't know if that's such a good idea!"

"Oh, come on! You've gotten better with that other side of yourself, right?"

"I guess… I've learnt how to not get so… tyrannical."

"Have you gone HDD since we last fought, Rei?", asked Nepgear.

"N-No… I haven't tried to. I don't want to slip back into that mentality."

IF thought on this for a while, raising a hand to her chin. "You know, we could help you control that."

"W-What?!"

"We could!", added Compa. "You can practice transforming in front of us, and then you can try to act not-so-big-bad while doing it!"

"Are you sure?" Rei looked around with nervous eyes. "I don't want to be an evil person… again. I don't want to hurt any of you."

"It'll be fine! And if you ever do slip back into that…", started Compa. "...We'll just knock you out!" Rei looked at Compa with a somewhat worried face.

"She's serious. Compa has her ways.", said IF, with a deadpan voice.

Rei shifted slightly. "I-I'm sure she does…"

"So… you're up for it?", asked IF.

Rei deliberated over the option for a few moments. "...Do I have to?"

The four others all looked at Rei. "Yup. You're part of this whole shebackle, so you're gonna help us get to the end of it.", said Neptune. "Hopefully with a good ending, too!"

"Please, Rei. Y-You're very powerful, and… wouldn't you want to be there when we confront them and try to stop them again? Wouldn't you want to help them?", asked Nepgear.

"When you word it that way…"Rei looked to the floor. "Yes. I'll do it!" Rei looked out with with determination. She placed her right hand to her chest, looking down at it with quivering brows. "I'll help them. No matter what, I'll help them! I'll be there when we bring them to our side!" Neptune raised her hands into the air in celebration and ran towards Rei, hugging into the nervous woman.

Nepgear giggled to herself. "I'm glad that you've decided to help us. Maybe we can even train together sometime!"

"I-I'll have to get used to using weapons again… I haven't for a while… Especially in this form…"

Compa raised an eyebrow. "What weapon do you even use in this form?"

"Do you use any melee weapons? We could help you learn how to use one, if you don't.", offered IF.

"I… C-Can we sort this out later?"

"Right. We're supposed to have a relaxed day anyway."

Compa smiled widely. "So let's follow Nep-Nep and Ge-Ge until they're done, and then we can have the rest of the day off!"

Neptune looked over to Nepgear, raising an eyebrow. "How 'bout it, sis? Sounds like a plan?"

"Yup!"

And so, the group of five continued to venture through the city.

* * *

**A few hours later, Planeptune Basilicom:**

Neptune sat on a couch in front of the TV. "Phew… Such a long day."

Nepgear sat next to her. "It was a nice day. We got to do some quests together, we met up with IF, Compa and Rei, and we even convinced Rei to be a part of our plan!"

"Yup. And we had fun while doing it."

"It seems as if you two completed quite a few tasks today.", spoke Histoire, who floated towards the couches. "What's this about Rei joining you?"

Neptune waved at the fairy. "Oh, hiya Histy! We'll catch you up."

"While we were in the middle of a delivery quest, Neptune and I bumped into IF, Compa and Rei. They joined us as we walked through the city and we eventually started talking about how Rei should join us in trying to stop Renna and Gil.", explained Nepgear.

Neptune puffed her chest out. "It was my idea!"

"And she eventually agreed. She's going to practice transforming without going…"

"Crazy.", said Neptune.

"...That. And she's going to start practicing with weapons again. She seemed determined when she said she'd help."

"That sounds wonderful. I'm glad she came to that decision.", said Histoire, looking beyond the TV at the vast skyline beyond the large windows of the building. The sky was orange, and clouds were still flowing through the air. The many lights of the buildings were starting to flicker to life, whether people were still at work or at home. She returned her vision to the sisters. "I assume that you are both done for the day?"

"Uh-huh.", said Neptune, who had started the console up. "Hey, Nepgear, wanna join me?"

"Sure thing!"

Histoire sighed to herself, letting out a brief giggle afterwards. "I'm glad that you're both in such high spirits. Not that I expect anything less from you, Neptune."

"If there's one thing I'm good at, Histy, it's blind positivity! I am the lead character, after all."

"Of course. I'll be taking my leave, then. I'll see the both of you later."

"Smell ya later."

"Bye Histoire.", said Nepgear.

Histoire floated around the room and eventually decided to go out onto the balcony. She made her way to the edge of it, slightly above the railing. It overlooked the entire city, providing an astounding view. She stayed there, floating for quite some time. She thought about many things. She always gave Neptune a hard time, and, well, it was justified. Neptune hardly did any work when the world wasn't in some sort of danger, and even then, paperwork was not something she touched. But she was getting better… probably. Hopefully. Still not doing any paperwork, but still. Better. She was training more often, going on more quests, and overall being more productive than usual.

And Nepgear. Oh, Nepgear. She always tries her hardest. She helps with paperwork, is much more mature than Neptune, and is certainly making tremendous progress. But she is easily worried. At least she actually gets worried…

Nepgear still has a way to go, but she'll get there. Histoire sighed while she stared out to the sky, now even darker than before. These two sisters certainly are something else. She smiled to herself, thinking of all that has already happened.

"They'll make it through this. I know they will."

And so, Histoire stayed out on the balcony, watching the sky as it darkened, the clouds as they passed by, and the lights of the city. The stars of the sky were shining brightly tonight. As was the moon. Histoire turned around to face the two sisters. The two Planeptune CPUs.

"We'll make it through this."

* * *

**That's that. How'd you like it? **

**Feel free to share what you thought of it! **

**Don't really have that much to say this time.**

**So… yeah.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	28. Army of One

**Hey. Been a while, hasn't it? **

**Unless you didn't have to wait for this, but anyways. A whole five months' worth of waiting, huh? That's a bit unreasonable, and I do apologize for it. Bet most of you thought this was dead, hey? Yeah. But here we are, things have changed, etcetera, etcetera.**

**I'm not going to keep you waiting. Please enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 27:**

In the city of Ultradimension Lowee stood a three story house that wasn't too different from any other typical house. It had the same Loweean architecture, the same orange and brown colour scheme, and the same semi-traditional air to it.

In this house stayed a blacksmith. A rather famous blacksmith known as Dusty. He wasn't too far away from work since he lived in the same district as his forge, so travel wasn't an issue for him. In his house he had the bottom floor that comprised of a lounge and kitchen, the second floor that he would have his bedroom on, and the third room which was used to house guests.

The top floor didn't often get too much attention, but things had changed. A group of four adventurers took shelter in this house as per Dusty's request. Something that he didn't give out lightly, or at all, really.

Dusty stood over his typical Loweean kitchen counter while looking into his lounge, where he spotted the adventurers he was housing talking amongst themselves.

"You feeling okay?"

"Yeah, Renna, I'm fine. I'm not hurt anymore. You don't have to worry."

Renna and Gil sat on the same couch, facing away from the kitchen. Renna was seemingly adamant about making sure that Gil was in tip top condition. That boy came to this house with not only some stabs, cuts and bruises, but with a damn bullet wound and some chemical poisoning.

Dusty sighed to himself. "It's pretty ridiculous how you can shrug off those wounds of yours as if they're nothing, boy. You know that people usually go to hospitals for those kinda things?"

Neptune, who was sitting on a couch opposite the siblings, leaned back on it with her arms out. "Gilly here's a tough one, ol' Dusto. He can shrug off things like that without an issue. No sweat!"

Uzume sat next to her, rolling her eyes while leaning her chin on her fist. "And you've seen him take anything like than that before?"

"U-Uhhh… no…"

Renna shot her eyes towards Uzume. "Gilly can take more than that. He can take much more than that."

Uzume waved a hand at her. "N-No, I'm not doubting it! Just tryna poke fun at Neptune, ya know…"

"Oh, right. Yeah."

Neptune crossed her arms. "As if you've teased me more than I have you. I'll have you know that my teasing tally stretches far and wide!"

Uzume scratched her head. "Why do you sound so proud about that?"

Gil, who had been listening in to the conversation, steered it back on course. "Didn't you say that Faust's people could be anywhere? Even in medical centers?"

Dusty crossed his arms and nodded slowly. "Yes, I did say that. But you still took substantial damage, enough to make a normal person be out of order for a good while. And yet here you are, fit as a fiddle." Dusty then leaned forward on the counter. "You're not normal, are you?"

Gil looked shocked, but before anything could escalate, Renna butted in. "You're pretty fixated on us being more than simple, run-of-the-mill adventurers, aren't you?"

Dusty thinned his eyes before smiling to himself. "Well, a little hoping for something different isn't too bad, is it? Sometimes I want to see something special. All the more better for me."

Renna turned in her seat to face the blacksmith. "Well today isn't the day for that. You're accommodating normal people, nothing more."

"So you say."

Gil looked out of a window, seeing that the sky was still dark, the clouds still covered the sky, and the rain still poured. As it had the day before, and the day of the incident. But beyond that, he could tell that it was getting dark. "Sun's setting."

Everyone followed suit, looking out of a window to the skies. Uzume stretched her arms into the air. "Yup, it is. You guys got nothing else to do before it's totally dark out, right?"

"Nope, nada, negative!", said Neptune, shaking her head. "Got all my quests handed in and my optional events out of the way."

Uzume looked at her with tired eyes before waving her off. "Yeah, the nonsense she just said."

"Hey!"

"I didn't really have anything to do today at all, but I'm up for it if there is anything else.", said Renna.

Gil nodded. "Same goes for me."

"Then don't cause any trouble.", said Dusty. "Don't want another kidnapping, and definitely not in my house."

Neptune looked around the lounge. It was what you'd expect from a Loweean house. The interior wasn't too different from the hotel, although it felt more personal. "Hey, Dusty? Did you get the third floor specifically for guests or what?"

"No. There's always been three floors. You're not the first to use that upper floor."

"Oh? Please do go on…"

"What, now I must tell you my life story?"

"Yup!"

Dusty looked at Neptune with questioning eyes before seeing that the others also looked interested to hear more about him. Renna hung onto the arm of the couch, Uzume tilted her head to face him, and Gil turned to face Dusty as well. "Well I guess some small storytelling would be fine." Dusty walked into the lounge, sitting on a single chair that was in the corner of the room.

"My family used to live here with me. But that was years ago, and I have no reason to remodel, so the house has stayed the same since it was built."

"You had a family?! I took you for the "live alone" type of guy!", said Neptune.

"I did take you all in, did I not?"

"Right."

"My wife used to live here with me, but she has already passed. Happened years ago, I've already done my mourning. But the third floor was used by my sons and daughter."

"How many children did you have?", asked Renna.

"Three. Eldest was my girl, two youngest were my boys. They've all grown up, moved around the place, and now I don't really see them that much anymore."

Renna's face dropped. "That's kinda sad…"

Dusty shrugged. "Such is life. Can't expect them to stay with me forever. I'm glad they're out doing their own things with their life, being successful in their own right."

"Any of them take up blacksmithing?", asked Uzume.

"The youngest. Runs his own place in Planeptune. Makes some quality stuff if I do say so myself."

Neptune perked up. "Ooooh, Planeptune! We'll be heading there next Maybe we'll meet him there?"

"Yeah, that'd be a mighty coincidence, wouldn't it?"

"What're their names?", asked Renna.

Dusty sighed. "Enough about me." He looked towards Neptune. "You mentioned that you'd be going to Planeptune next? And when would that be?"

Neptune looked around at her companions. "Um, I dunno. Probably within the next few days. That means that you only have a small amount of precious time with us left, Dusty! Better make the most of it."

Dusty looked to the floor with somewhat down eyes. "Yeah. That's true. Only a short time left."

Neptune leaned over the couch, placing both hands under her chin. "Hmmm, all sad, are we?"

Dusty huffed. "Maybe in your dreams. I did say that something different happening isn't too bad, didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah, I can tell that you care."

Dusty got up from his chair and walked towards the kitchen again. "I'll get supper ready, you all go do something else."

"Aww, do we have to-" Before Neptune could finish, Uzume grabbed her by the cheek and stood up, leading her towards the stairs to the upper floors. "We'll get outta your hair for now. Make sure it's good, alright?"

"It always is." Dusty then looked towards the sibling who were getting up from their seats. "Hey, boy?"

Gil turned around with a slightly confused expression. He raised an eyebrow while Renna stood at his side. "Yes?"

"Come over here, will ya? Gotta take some time from you."

Gil briefly looked around before walking forwards. "Alright then." Renna followed suit.

"Not you, Renna. Just myself and Gil. Gotta have him help me with the food."

Renna protested. "But I could also-"

"You go have your fun with the others. Or go relax. Whatever's better for you."

Renna opened her mouth to retort, but she could see that Dusty wouldn't budge. She looked up at Gil before turning to leave. "Alright, alright. Don't be too strict on him."

Gil glanced backwards before noticing Dusty beckoning him forward. He walked to the counter and stood opposite Dusty. "What do I need to do?"

Dusty took a small, casual smile. "I need you to look through the cupboards for some pans and other such things. And get some utensils to boot."

Gil nodded and went to work. He scoured throughout the kitchen, opening cupboards and sliding open drawers. He listened to Dusty tell him what to pick up and placed the utensils in front of him. He then stood next to Dusty. "Is this fine?"

"Yeah, now we can get to work." Dusty had picked out all the required ingredients while Gil was busy. They both started sorting out their cooking space, when Dusty spotted something that intrigued him. While Gil was bending down, Dusty looked at him and saw a peculiar looking shape sitting on the right side of his neck. "Oy, Gil. Look at me for a second?"

Gil looked up, perplexed, but stood up and faced Dusty. "Yes?"

"Tilt your head to the left a bit?" Gil did as he was told, pulling on his collar to expose more of his neck. He had an idea of where this was going. Dusty took a few steps towards Gil and leaned his head forward before pointing. "That there. What's that scar from?"

Gil sighed to himself, looking out of a window before answering. "Got it a long time ago. Happened because of an accident. Been with me for most of my life."

"An accident? What kind of accident would cause that kind of scar? It's shape is... nothing like a monster claw." Dusty could see that the scar was a line that ran horizontally along the right of his neck, and it wasn't too large. In the center was a circular shape that had a dot in the middle. It looked very clean, as if it was man-made.

"You... could say that it was because of a monster, but not due to a claw. But it was an accident. Never should've happened in the first place."

"You're explaining this in a very roundabout way, boy. Makes me very intrigued."

"It's nothing too important. You don't need to worry about it."

"At the very least it proves that you can keep scars on your body. And yet a bullet leaves nothing..."

Gil pulled his collar back up. "Can we... not talk about this kind of thing now?"

"Fine, fine, I'll drop it for now. Still mighty intrigued about you and your sisters background, but I'll leave that for another time. Right now, we need to get supper going."

"Before Neptune comes down telling us how she's so hungry..."

Dusty chuckled to himself. "Exactly." They then fully invested themselves in cooking, with Dusty not asking anything else about the siblings.

Meanwhile, upstairs, the three girls all sat around for a chat. Uzume wanted to know exactly what happened during the rescue, so she asked Neptune to tell her. She also asked Renna to join her, since Uzume figured she'd want to know, too, which she did. They sat in a triangle formation on an orange carpet.

Neptune rubbed her hands together. "Now I can tell you both WITHOUT leaving out the juicy bits!"

Uzume raised an eyebrow. "You gave us a brief rundown of what happened anyway, so I think there's more to tell than just "the juicy bits.""

"Yeah, guess you're right about that one." Neptune looked to Renna. "Ready?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah, I'm ready. Just got lost in thought."

"Cool. So where do ya wanna start?"

"At the beginning."

"Duh.", chimed Uzume.

"Shush, you. Okay, so I'll still make it quick. You good with that?"

"Yup.", nodded Renna and Uzume.

"Cool." Neptune clapped her hands together. "So, Gil woke me up after reading a letter left by Faust. He rushed me to get ready and whatever and then we headed off to Dusty's place after I suggested it. Dusty then gave us a speech about how danger and blablabla. He gave us some places to visit, and then I had the bright idea of using Croire…" Neptune pointed to her Nep-note. "…To take us to them."

"Pretty convenient.", said Uzume.

"Yeah, right? So after multiple attempts, we found the one. And then we commenced the rescue operation." Neptune struck a dramatic pose.

Uzume leaned back on her hands. "This is the part that I'm interested in. How'd you guys get in?"

"Yeah. Was it stealthy or action packed?", asked Renna.

Neptune shrugged. "Some of each. The former at first, and the latter later. We came across these three guards at the entrance, and we convinced them that we wanted to join them."

Renna tilted her head to one side. "Really? How'd you do that?"

"I told them that I'm this super good spy person who found out about their location, and they believed it. With Gilly, it was a bit tougher."

"Why's that?", asked Uzume.

"I told them that he was a good bodyguard and fighter. But we had no proof. Didn't help that this one guy seemed like he wanted to pick fights with Gilly."

Uzume and Renna both looked at Neptune suspiciously, with Uzume talking. "And how did that happen? 'Cus of you, I'm guessing?"

Neptune scratched the back of her head. "Ehehe… How'd you know?"

Uzume sighed.

"So anyway, this one guy seemed to like me, 'cus he tried hitting on me a few times. Must've riled Gilly up, since the guy said that Gilly was giving him the eyes or something."

"And how'd that end up?", asked Renna.

"I had to cover for him. Told the guy that Gilly was super protective of me." Neptune glanced towards Renna. "Oh, and I also had to pretend to be Gilly's girlfriend."

One of Uzume's hands slipped, almost causing her to fall backwards. "You did what?!" Renna didn't say anything, instead staring forward with wide eyes.

Neptune interlocked her fingers. "Well I had to convince them somehow! It was just pretend, okay?! Pretend! Make believe!"

"You coulda said that you were best friends or something!"

"Saying he was my boyfriend was more believable! It let me really sell it, since I hugged him and stuff!"

Renna looked really tense at that point, although she still didn't say anything. Uzume placed a hand to her face and leaned on it. "You really are ridiculous, Nepsy. Absolutely ridiculous."

Neptune crossed her arms and looked away. "Well I didn't think I had any other choice at the time. And I don't think it was a bad idea at all. We got away with it, didn't we?"

Uzume put her hands on her knees. "Y-Yes, but still! You didn't…" Uzume sighed. "I don't know how you do that sorta thing without getting embarrassed."

Neptune put her hands behind her head. "Hehe, it's just the way I am."

"How was he?", asked Renna.

Neptune lowered her hands. "Hm?"

"How was Gil?"

"Oh, uhh… His usual self, I guess. Wasn't too comfortable at my sudden hug attacks, but he understood why it had to happen. We were there to save you guys, after all."

Renna closed her eyes and smiled to herself. "Yup. You were, and you did. And we're both grateful for it."

Neptune gave a toothy smile. "You betcha! Would do it again in a heartbeat.'

Uzume rubbed her cheek. "I think I'd prefer to not have another rescue mission, ya know?"

"That is true.", nodded Neptune. "But anyway, you guys brought me off track. Where was I… Right! I pretended to be Gilly's girlfriend!"

"Nepsy…"

"Kidding, kidding… So I convinced the three guys to let us in, and they did. Never dropped their guards, though. We walked through the factory and entered a room. It had a secret staircase that reached a lower level, where you guys were!"

"Neat.", said Uzume.

"Kinda. We fought those three guys in that room. There was one point where I was ganged up on by two of them. One of them held me while the other started hitting me."

"Oh, wow.", said Uzume.

"How'd you get out of that?", asked Renna, taking a concerned face.

"Well that's where your brother came in. He must've seen me from across the room, because he rushed to me and…" Neptune angled her eyebrows upwards and held an awkward smile towards Renna. "…I've said it before, but Gilly really can be extreme."

"What… do you mean?"

"Oh… you know… Broken arms, broken legs, probably broken faces, too."

Uzume leaned forward. "Geez, okay."

Renna also took an awkward smile. "Yeah… He can get like that sometimes…"

"Yeah. He didn't even notice that he'd been stabbed and cut. But anyways, we moved down the staircase and got into another fight. This time, there were four people with guns there. Gil got shot almost immediately, but I devised a clever plan to take them out."

"It's probably ridiculous.", commented Uzume.

"So I asked Gil to distract the enemies, which he did. He took one out while I was preparing, too. I then got Croire to teleport me closer to the baddies so I could take them out. I landed on one and disarmed the other. And then, Gilly and I dealt with the other three."

"Yup, ridiculous."

"Anyways, we moved into the next room, where you all were. Faust had his goons attack us like a typical boss character, and he shot Gil with some chemical… thing. Gil collapsed, but shot out his light magic at Uzume's chair. You know the rest, Uzume, care to explain?"

Renna turned her attention to Uzume, who was taken off guard. "I… I suppose, yeah. So I woke up and looked around, and there I saw Gilsy on the floor. Before I did anything, he asked me to transform and take care of the bad guys. So I did just that and knocked Faust away. And that's when, uhh… umm…" Uzume looked to Neptune.

Renna looked between the two confusedly before Neptune spoke. "That's when Gil closed in on Faust in a really… threatening way. Like he wanted to kill him."

Renna upturned her eyebrows. "Oh…"

"Luckily for us, Uzume's CPU strength came in handy! Her and I held Gil back until…" Neptune gazed at the floor along with Uzume, confusing Renna.

"What? Until what?"

Neptune lifted her head. "Until he said that he'd killed someone before."

Renna was stunned. She briefly stared forward before looking down at her lap. "Oh."

Nobody spoke for a few moments, before Uzume looked up. "You… Did you know about that, Renna?"

Renna deliberated over what to say. Yes, it was true that Gil killed someone before. And there was no way to convince these two of otherwise. And even if she tried, they wouldn't believe her. And that... wouldn't lead to a very good dynamic in the group. Nothing good would come of it. Renna, frustratedly, decided to tell the truth. Even though it would raise more questions. "...Yes, I did. He has killed someone before, and that was a long time ago."

Neptune held her hands together. "Do you know, um… Why? I know it's a touchy subject, but-"

"Yes, I know why."

Another few moments of silence passed. "Could you maybe… tell… us?", asked Neptune, still holding an awkward smile.

Renna glanced at her and smiled, shaking her head all the while. "I'll give you a very brief summary."

Neptune was shocked. She didn't expect to get any sort of answer. "O…kay… Yeah, okay, that's good enough for me."

"Same.", said Uzume.

"When Gilly and I were younger, we were sorta taken in by this man after… ya know, our parents…"

Uzume nodded slowly. "Yeah."

"Yeah. We stayed with him for quite a long time. And after all that… We killed him."

Uzume fully fell over this time, landing on her back. Neptune managed to compose herself, but looked on wide-eyed. More moments passed with nobody talking.

"You killed him?", said Neptune.

"Why'd you do that? Didn't he care for you guys?", asked Uzume. She looked very surprised.

Renna nodded slowly. "Yes, he did. But he asked us to do it when he didn't have too much time left. He asked us to finish him off before something else did."

Uzume looked to the floor. "So that's how it happened…" She felt conflicted at first, but now she felt… less so, at least.

"Yup. Not much more to it than that. I know it might seem... heartless, but it was a very, very strange time for us."

Neptune looked between her two friends and shook her head. She slapped her knees and stood up. "What's done is done! We can't get too caught up on the past, or we won't be able to move forward! So let's not get down over this, okay?"

Uzume and Renna looked at her. "I don't know how you stay so positive all the time, Nepsy…", said Uzume, getting up from the floor. "But I'm with ya."

Neptune nodded at her and looked to Renna, stretching a hand to her. "Same goes for you, right?"

Renna looked into Neptune's eyes. She was so bright, so positive. Always. She took her hand and was pulled to her feet. "Yeah, same goes for me."

"Then let's go check up on supper, alright? See what the boys are getting up to!"

"Sure. They shoulda made some progress by now.", said Uzume.

"Yeah. Probably.", said Renna.

Neptune raised a hand into the air. "Then let's go!"

* * *

**Later that night:**

Renna leaned over a balcony on the third floor which overlooked the city. Her necklace hung from her neck, changing colours all the while. Through the darkness of night and clouds, small rays of moonlight shone through. She gazed out at the multiple buildings, darting between the rainbow of lights in the streets and marketplaces. Even now, with this rain, many people still went out at night.

"Stupid… Boyfriend? Really?" She heard a door opening and turned her head to face it. She spotted her brother standing in the doorway. "Oh, it's just you…" She turned back around and gripped onto the wooden railing. She could hear Gil walking towards her and saw him lean on the railing besides her while also looking out into the city.

"Hey."

"Hey Gilly."

"I noticed that you started calling me that again."

"Yup."

"Why?"

"No real reason."

"Alright."

Renna narrowed her eyes at the sky. "Can't even see the stars anymore."

"Or the moon."

Renna looked to Gil. "What'd Dusty want with you earlier? Was it really just for preparing supper?"

Gil shook his head. "No. He saw my scar and started asking questions."

"He's very curious... And? How'd it go?"

Gil looked up to the sky. "Better than I thought. I told him it was an accident that happened a long time ago due to a monster."

"Did it work?"

"For now."

"Cool."

"What're you doing up here? Thinking?"

"You know me."

"What about?"

"Some stuff. Don't worry about it."

"I'm always here to talk."

"I know. What'd you come up here for?"

"To see where you were."

"What's going on down there?"

"Neptune and Uzume are watching TV. Dusty's dealing with them."

"Got out there while you could?"

"You could say that."

Renna giggled to herself, pausing momentarily. "Sorry for putting you through having to rescue us."

"It's fine Renna, it's not your fault."

"Thanks."

"Helped that Neptune was with me. Might've been different if she hadn't."

Renna tightened her grip on the railing. "Yeah…" She looked down to the ground three stories down. "I just got worried about it. That's fine, right?"

"Yes."

"Let's try to never leave each other's sides again, okay?"

"Okay."

Renna smiled to herself. They spent a few minutes watching the city sprawl throughout the land before they were interrupted by loud noises coming from downstairs. "They're quite rowdy, aren't they?"

"Yeah…"

"Wanna go check up on them?"

"Sure."

Both of them slowly walked downstairs to the first floor.

"What do you think of my hair, Gilly? Think it's time for a haircut?"

"If that's what you think."

"Maybe you can get one too!"

"Only if you get one as well."

"New haircuts it is!"

They both reached the first floor, turning the corner to enter the lounge…

"Get 'em."

Gil saw Renna drop to the floor, grabbing her as she fell. He looked up and saw a bat rush towards his face. He fell to the floor and was struck across his chest multiple times. He could feel Renna being taken from his grasp as he tried gripping onto her.

That's when he felt a foot smack across his face and a boot kick him in the stomach. He was kicked onto his back before someone sent a syringe into his neck. He tried getting up, but he felt weak. He saw someone kneel next to him and smirk.

"Hey, what's up?", said Faust.

Gil grit his teeth as he was punched across the face. He was then dragged into the lounge and thrown on his back. He looked around and saw Dusty in a similar state, seated on his corner chair without moving.

"Don't worry about Dusto, he'll be fine. Just a little tired."

Gil rolled onto his stomach and faced forward. His vision was slightly blurry, but he could see Neptune, Uzume and Renna lying on the floor in front of him, along with some other figures standing over them. Gil started breathing in and out slowly. He'd be able to recover from this. He'd done it before. Just a little longer, and he'd be able to get up.

He placed his hands on the floor and tried lifting himself up. But… why couldn't he lift himself up? He'd recovered from paralysis before. Come on, come on…

"Trying to get up, are we?", said Faust, before he placed his foot on Gil's back. "Go on, get up. If you do, I'll let you all go."

Why wasn't he recovered yet? Why?! He had to get up! He had to! He couldn't let…!

"You can't. You simply can't."

Come on, come on…! Get up, get up, get up! You have to! You HAVE to!

Gil saw Faust kneel besides him. "Wanna know why?" He flicked what Gil could only assume to be a syringe. "Stronger stuff."

Gil tried as he might, but he couldn't lift himself from the floor. Why? Why?! He had to get up! Hadn't Renna just said that they shouldn't leave each other again?!

Faust could see Gil try his hardest to get up. But he couldn't. Just as he'd wanted it to be. "Sooooo sorry, but I did say that I always get what I want, one way or another. But I'm still gonna have my fun." He dropped a piece of paper on the floor. "Come find me. Come have some fun. I know I will."

Faust got up and turned around, heading towards his goons. He looked down at the three girls in front of him before turning back around, looking to Gil. He saw Gil look up from the floor, still trying his hardest to get up. "Gimme a sec." He pulled out his syringe and filled it with a see-through substance. He once again walked to Gil and kneeled besides him.

"See you later."

"I'll kill you."

Faust injected his syringe into Gil's neck again before getting up.

"I'll kill you…" Gil reached out his hand, trying to crawl towards the three on the floor. "I will… I will…"

Faust signaled for his men to pick the three girls up. "You will try."

"I'll kill…"

The last thing Gil saw was them walking out the door. The last thing he heard was the door shutting.

And the last thing he thought of was him killing Faust.

* * *

**Morning:**

"…up, boy. Get up, Gil! Come on, get up already!" Gil could feel his body being shaken. He felt dizzy. His head hurt, and he could tell that he was bruised. He lied on his back, gripping his stomach and opening his eyes. He could see Dusty leaning over him, being equally bruised. "You're… awake. Good." Dusty leaned back out of Gil's vision.

He felt sick. Not just from what he'd been poisoned with, but from the events of last night. He looked up at the ceiling while thinking over the events. Again and again, he thought about them. Renna had been shot, poisoned by Faust using that gun of his. Gil was sure that she'd been injected later on. There was no way she wouldn't have gotten up if she hadn't been.

He failed. He could've done more. He should've done more. He felt angry. Why couldn't they have just left them alone?! He felt sad. He didn't want any of them to get hurt, not again... He felt hopeless. He had to do something. Renna had been through so much for him before, all by herself. He HAD to do something. He had to do anything he could. Anything at all to get them back.

He felt a murderous urge. He let Faust go because Neptune and Uzume asked him to, and this is what happened because of that! He should've gone through with his intentions and killed Faust when he stood over him. He wanted to find Faust, find his people, find their base, tear it apart, tear them apart, rip them apart, rip him apart kill them kill them kill them kill him.

Gil propped himself up, moving across the floor and leaning against a couch. He saw Dusty slowly walk towards him and reach down. "Get up, Gil." Gil was helped to his feet before he sat on the couch.

Gil had to keep calm. He had to. When he and Neptune had rescued the others before, Neptune had helped calm him down. He breathed in and breathed out. Slowly, repeatedly, until he was calmer than before. He looked at the opposite couch where Dusty now sat. "...How'd it happen?"

Dusty furrowed his brows. "They barged in and quickly shot me and the others with chemicals. They shot the girls multiple times, but they let me get up from my chair. They only shot me again when I was within striking range. Then…" Dusty looked at the bruising on his arms. "…the guy with the bat swung at me. Did what I could, but one of them injected me and must've set me on the chair." Gil looked to the floor. "But you're feeling alright, boy?"

"Yes. I feel fine."

"Good. We'll need to recover."

"Faust… dropped a piece of paper."

Dusty reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment. "Got the address of where he's going."

"Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, I do."

"Could you tell me where to go?"

Dusty narrowed his eyes. "We have to recover, boy, and it's not like we got any other help. As if the police'd do anything."

"Can you show me where it is?"

"I'm gonna go with you, so you'll have to wait."

"I'll go alone. You're in no shape to fight."

"Could say the same thing about you."

Gil stood up from the couch, clenching his fists. "I'll go by myself, and I'll come back with them all."

Dusty smirked at Gil. "Why? Because you're not normal?"

Gil widened his eyes in anger. He clenched his fists harder, digging his fingers into his skin. Clam... Stay calm. "Please, Dusty. I NEED to know where to go, and I NEED you to tell me."

Dusty could tell how angry Gil was, no matter how hard he tried to cover it up. "You're playing a dangerous game, boy."

"I know."

"What would you do if I didn't give you the location?"

Gil thought for a moment. "I'd try to find it myself. Ask around, look around, walk around."

Dusty huffed to himself. He wouldn't be surprised if Gil tried to take the paper from him by force. "Always so determined… Well, couldn't say I'd do it any different if I were you." He then got up, showing no signs that his injuries tolled on him. He held the piece of paper in one hand. "As much as I hate to say it, I'll let you go alone. They know me, but they don't know you as well. You could surprise them, since you're not normal."

"I didn't say-"

"You didn't have to. Can't get through me, Gil." He reached his hand out, offering the paper out. Gil grabbed onto it and pulled it, but Dusty gripped onto it. "Tell me more about you and your sister when you're back, will ya?"

"I'll… think about it." With that, Dusty let go of the paper and let Gil take it. After that, he explained to Gil how to get to the location. He had Gil recite the directions three times in a row before he was satisfied.

"And I'll be joining you later when I'm recovered.", said Dusty. "Have to help somehow."

Gil nodded at him and turned to the door. "Thank you, Dusty. I'm going to go after them now."

Dusty placed a hand on his shoulder, patting him twice. "Be careful."

"…I'll try."

Dusty let go of Gil and let him walk to the door. Gil turned his head and nodded at Dusty before leaving, closing the doors behind him. He walked through the rain. Gil was determined to find them. He was dead set on his goal.

He would find them. He would find them and he would get inside. He'd save them. He would, he had to. He clenched his fists again, looking at the grey clouds.

He had to.

* * *

**Thank you for reading. I apologize again for the unreasonable amount of time this has taken. Next one won't take so long, I promise.**

**Feel free to leave a review if you'd like. What're your thoughts on it?**

**But anyway, that's it this time.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	29. Zero Tolerance

**Hello! See, I'm on time… I think. Anyways, here you are. **

**I won't keep you long. Only thing I'll say is that you should prepare yourself. Stuff goes down this time.**

**Please enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 28:**

"Okay… Left."

Gil was navigating through the wet streets of Lowee. He had made some progress in his mission to find his group's whereabouts, but he wasn't there yet. He also wasn't well versed in the city's layout, so he wasn't… as efficient as he could be.

"Where… Where next? There?" Gil stood at a crossroads. Cars crossed the street in front of him, lighting up the dreary morning with their headlights. "I… I don't… Where…"

Gil looked around in a flustered state. He looked towards street signs, trying to see any names that he recognized. He had been on track a few minutes ago, but now… he wasn't too sure.

"Maybe… I should find a notice board. Those have maps." From there he could map out his route again. If he was actually lost. He wasn't completely sure that he was off track, but better safe than not. But he didn't know where a notice board was. Maybe he'd ask around?

He saw a convenience store that was open. He'd be able to get directions from there. Gil headed towards it, quickly walking through the automatic doors. Gil heard a "Welcome" from the cashier as he walked towards him.

The man looked Gil up and down. Gil was completely drenched, after all. "Hey kid… Looking a little under the weather there. We have hoodies if you need."

Gil placed a hand on the counter. "No, thank you. Can I ask you for some directions?"

The cashier crossed his arms. "At least buy something first. You really look like you need something to warm you up…" The cashier fidgeted around under the counter and pulled out some snacks. "These should help. How about I get you some coffee too, then we'll talk?"

Gil looked at the cashier confusedly before nodding rapidly. "Sure, yes, please be quick." The cashier brandished a wide smile before getting to work at a coffee machine behind the counter. Gil tapped his foot impatiently for a few minutes before it was done.

The cashier placed the coffee and snacks in front of Gil. "Thank you, that'll be-" Before he could finish, Gil placed money on the counter. "Hey, kid, this is more-"

"Directions? To the nearest notice board?"

The man shrugged. "Eh, if you insist." The man then gave Gil directions. The notice board wasn't too far away, and Gil would be able to navigate there quickly.

"Thank you."

"Come again."

Gil walked out of the store quickly. "Alright… Down the street, left, continue for four stops, another left…" Gil followed these steps as he made his way through the streets.

He had some time to think as he walked. What would he do once he found the location? He'd get inside, but how? He… Probably would have to assault the place. Make his way through by force. Get any info he could from the people there. Force them to give him, if he had to.

He could try to be stealthy at first, but he wasn't sure that that would last long. He would try though. It would make things easier for him, as well as the girls. If nobody knew he was there, they were safer.

"Three… Four… Left." Gil turned and ran down a street. There were more people walking on this street than the previous ones. Must be a main street. Gil had to dodge around people as he moved through the sidewalk.

He saw a gathering of people on the side of the street and headed there. They were all gathered near a… noticeboard. There, that's where he needed to be. As he got closer, he saw that the noticeboard was separated into different sections. The group gathered around the quest section of the board, so Gil had free reign of the map section on the right side.

He approached the map and leaned on the side of the panel, placing his fingers on the map while trying to find the place he was looking for. "Where is it… Where is it…" He ran his finger through the different roads, tracing them back to where he was. He couldn't find the place he was looking for.

Gil took his finger off of the board and stared at it in an irritated fashion. He scrunched his right hand into a fist and placed it on the side of the map, once again staring at the layout. He leaned his face closer towards the board. He then shook his head and stepped away from the map, letting his face drop. He noticed that somebody else stood next to him, seemingly wanting to look at the map, so he moved to his right to give them more space.

Gil realized that he had completely neglected his coffee and snack that he'd just bought. He retrieved them from his inventory, holding his coffee in his right hand and a chocolate bar in his left.

Maybe the street names were outdated? Or maybe they were known as something else colloquially. He needed to look at the map again and… Yes! All he had to do was find where Dusty's house was, and then map the directions Dusty told him to where he needed to be. Once he found his end location, Gil could trace from there to his current location… There was a "You are here" on the map, so that made it easier…

"Yo."

It was a girl's voice. Gil was pulled out of his thoughts, looking around. He looked to his right, darting his eyes through the streets. He then looked to his left. The group of people that were previously by the quest section had dispersed.

There was only one person close to him. The only other person other than him who was looking at the map. Gil rested his eyes on them as they looked forward towards the map, their face not fully visible to Gil.

Gil blinked a few times. "Where… you talking to me?"

"Yup. You look lost."

Maybe… Gil could ask this person… this girl… to direct him? It'd help him find where he needed to go quicker. "I… am. Could you help…?"

Gil saw the girl's mouth curl up into a smile. "Sure I can."

"Thank you. I need to…" Gil then explained where he needed to go to the girl. He tried to be as clear as possible, with the girl nodding as he spoke. She always had her hands in her hoodie's pockets.

"Ahhh, I know that place. You won't find it here though. It's further away than what it shows on this map, so you'll need to find another noticeboard."

Gil sighed to himself as he nodded in understanding. "Thank you for telling me. I'll need-"

The girl then turned to face Gil. "I can take you there."

Gil looked at the girl with surprise. She wore a hoodie that was half white on her right and half dark blue on her left. It extended no further down than her thighs and was zipped up. She had her hood up, which also followed the colour scheme.

She wore long black jeans that reached her ankles, where they upturned. The upturned parts were the same blue that was on her hoodie. Gil could see that she wore blue socks with her black and white shoes. They were similar to his in that they were sneakers.

"How about it?", asked the girl.

Gil looked at her face and saw that she had black, seemingly straight hair under her hood. From what Gil could see, there were blue streaks in her hair. She smirked at Gil, exposing some of her teeth. She was fair skinned, and her eyes were black with… light blue, slit-like pupils? That was… interesting…

Gil also realized that this girl was pretty much as tall as him, if not slightly shorter.

She tilted her head down and looked excited. "Ooooh, what're those things in your hands?"

Gil, back on his train of thought, raised his hands and looked at them.

"Coffee and some chocolate. Hmmm, could do with that right now. How about you give me those and I'll direct you to where you need to go? Fair trade?", said the girl. She leaned back on her legs, taking a casual stance.

"I, uh… Pardon?", said Gil.

"I said that I'd direct you to where you need to be, and all you've got to give me are those items in your hands. That's more than fair, right?"

Gil hadn't intended on buying the items in the first place, so he had no problems with giving them out. But… "What're you doing?"

The girl looked up, closing her mouth and smiling thinly. "Setting the terms for this "contract," if you wanna call it that."

"No, I mean… why?"

The girl tilted her head to her left, smirking again. "I can help you if I want."

"Why? You don't know me."

"I can help strangers if I want. Or do you not want to know where to go?"

"I need to get there quickly, can you just tell me where to go? I'll be able to navigate their by myself."

"I can _show _you where to go, but I can't _tell_ you."

"Why can't you just... point me in a general direction and tell me what the building looks like?"

"Because that's boring, and the building doesn't stand out at all. You'll take hours trying to find it, and seeing as you're apparently in a rush... I don't think you've got the time to be doubting me."

Gil scrunched his fists. This girl was very adamant about showing him where to go, but he didn't need that. He would... He'd find someone else to tell him what the building looked like when he got there.

The girl looked Gil up and down. "You're completely soaked. Don't you own an umbrella? A hoodie?"

"No. I'm going to go now." Gil started to walk off in the direction he came from. He heard rapid footsteps behind him and looked to his right, seeing that the girl had caught up to him.

"What, you homeless? You don't look like it."

"Why are you so persistent?"

"Yeah, don't really get that many homeless people around the cities. They do well for their citizens."

Gil sighed to himself in annoyance as he gazed at the girl, trying to find out what she was up to. She seemed to notice this and giggled to herself. "Hey, what's got you suspicious? I'm just some innocent girl looking to do a good deed with some repayment in mind. Is that so wrong?"

Gil wasn't able to speak, as in the next instant, the girl walked towards him and grabbed his left arm. She stopped smirking and got closer to his ear. "I know exactly why you want to know where you're going."

Gil came to a stop and glared at the girl. "What do you-"

"Hey, don't look at me with such aggressive eyes.", said the girl, letting go of him and returning to her casual demeanour. "You've got something important to do there, right?"

"Is that what you mean by "exactly why" I want to go there?"

"Sure! That's... roundabout an exact reason." She shrugged her shoulders. "And besides, if you try to get there on foot, even going at a full blow sprint, that'll take you a long time. I know a much quicker way that'll only take a few minutes."

This sparked Gil's interest. "And how is that?"

The girl raised an eyebrow before giggling to herself. "You seriously haven't thought of it yet? Ahhh, you're a weird one. You're gonna hit yourself when you realize."

"Can you show me or not?"

The girl gave a toothy smile. "Of course I can. I know the shortest way around the world, and I know the shortest way to your destination."

"...And if you're lying to me?"

The girl raised her hands in mock surrender. "Easy there, tiger, I'm not one to throw down. You look like the type of guy that could beat up a squad of guys, so I'm not planning on having something similar happen to me. I swear on... whatever higher power you believe in that I'm not lying." She held her hands together. "Okay? So you'll follow me?"

Gil didn't like being toyed with, and this girl seemed to know that. And yet she still wanted to help Gil. Maybe she did... just want to help him out? Some people were good for the sake of being good, right?

Gil decided that… he would do what this girl said. For now. "Okay."

She quickly fistbumped before returning her hands into their pockets. "Cool. Let's go under some other cover, and you can give me the stuff there, okay?"

Gil nodded. The girl smirked again before leading the way. "There, out in the street. Come, come." Gil then turned around, following the girl from behind.

They walked a small distance, moving across the road to get under a small piece of cover. Once they were both under it, the girl faced Gil and unpocketed her hands, rubbing them together to produce heat. Gil saw that her right hand was covered in a blue glove. "Cool, can you give me my payment now?"

Gil took out the coffee and chocolate and held them out, with the girl quickly taking them. "Hmmm, warmth. So nice, so comfortable on a day like this." She unwrapped the chocolate and dipped it in the coffee before biting into it.

Gil tapped his feet on the ground while waiting. "What're we doing here? How long are we going to take?"

"Chillax, we'll only be here for a few more minutes. We've gotta wait for something to happen first."

"But-"

"Shhhh, soon, soon. I did say that I wouldn't lie to you. Not planning on changing that!"

Gil briefly looked to the floor before returning his gaze to her, observing her. She looked forward, very content with the current situation. Gil realized that neither of them had asked for the others name. He opened his mouth to speak, but the girl beat him to it. "You're seriously not cold? I can see you shivering."

Gil looked down and felt that, yes, he was shivering. His mind was preoccupied with other things, so he hadn't noticed. "…I know. I'm fine."

"Hmmm, you sure? It's not good to run around in the rain with nothing to keep you dry." She finished off the chocolate and held up a finger. "You could get sick."

"I won't."

The girl huffed. "Yeah, I know."

"What's… what's your name?"

The girl turned her head to face Gil, thinning out her smile. "Right, that's important when doing things like this." She finished her coffee and walked backwards to put it in a bin before facing Gil. "Call me Ava. And what would your name be?"

"Gil."

Ava stuffed her hands back in her pockets. "Gil. Alright then, Gil, follow me again." She started walking forward into the road.

"What're you-"

As Ava reached the edge of the sidewalk, a bus slowed down right in front of her, opening the doors just in time for her to walk on. She stepped onto the vehicle and spun around. "This is a bus stop, you know? Get on."

Gil promptly followed her. He stepped inside and saw Ava sitting in the front right row near the window. She patted the seat to her right. Gil sat next to her and leaned on his knees. He glanced to his left and saw Ava looking out of the window while leaning back.

Gil looked around the bus. Ava saw this and put a hand to her mouth while giggling. "What, did you seriously not know that we were at a bus stop? Were you _seriously _planning on running the whole way?"

Gil thinned out his mouth. "Yes." He and his sister weren't accustomed to using public transportation, so the though hadn't even crossed his mind.

"Hm? So determined."

Gil looked at Ava with a raised eyebrow before looking to the floor, resting his hands between his legs.

Ava tilted her head. "Not much of a talker?"

He thined out his eyes as he glanced at her. "I get that a lot."

"That sucks." Ava then pulled out another chocolate bar and began eating it, at which Gil stared. "Whaaat? Chocolate is nice, and it's not like I do this all the time." She took another bite out of it.

Gil stared at her blankly before looking back down to the floor. He felt a tap on his shoulder and saw Ava look at him weirdly. "This is the part where you at least try to talk to me."

Gil looked at her awkwardly. "I'm not used to it."

"…Not with strangers, yeah, yeah, but you should try to change it."

"I get told that too."

"By who?"

"..."

"Aww, you're not gonna tell me? Come on, now I'm really curious!"

"It doesn't matter. How long do we still have to wait?"

"A couple of minutes. Settle back, relax, and enjoy the ride."

Gil continued to rest his eyes on the floor, playing with his fingers and tapping his feet. Ava looked like she was going to ask another question, but stopped herself partway, taking to look out of the wet window again. "Eh, that could've gone better.", she muttered to herself They sat in silence for a while before Ava once again took the lead. "What're you going to this place for?"

"…Personal business."

"Hmm? So mysterious. You're not going to go clean the place out or something, are you? Going to go fight some people?"

"No."

"Awww, that woulda been cool to see. Hey, you're not from here, are you?"

Gil looked perplexed. "How'd you know?"

Ava smiled knowingly. "Oh, I know many things." Just then, the bus slowed down and arrived at its destination. "We better get off now." She stood up and beckoned Gil to follow her outside. They both stood under another bus stop, looking on as the vehicle drove off.

Ava smirked at Gil. Seems like she did that a lot. "Wanna go anywhere else first? I can show you how to go anywhere."

"I only need you to take me where I need to go."

Ava shrugged. "Suit yourself." She started walking off. "Come on."

Gil followed from behind. She walked forwards with her hands always in her pockets. She started slowing down until she was next to Gil. "It's lonely when you're in the front. Why do you still seem so… cold?"

"...Can't help it." He had been meaning to get more used to talking to other people, and it seemed like he still had a long way to go.

Ava lightly elbowed Gil's arms. "That's about all the harm I'll do to you. Relax around me. I don't have any sort of bad intentions, okay?"

That was the thing. Gil didn't know what her intentions were in the first place. She said she just wanted to help, but there was something off about this girl, but he couldn't tell why he felt that way. It was very… mysterious.

"You an adventurer?", asked Ava.

"You could say that."

"What kind of adventurer? The lone wolf or the pack animal?"

"I'm with a small group."

"That's surprising. I wonder how differently you treat them than you treat me. Maybe I'll find out one day."

"What do you mean?"

"That'd be entertaining. Seeing how a guy like you treats people who are closer to him. Wouldn't you say?"

Definitely a mysterious woman. "Maybe. Are we there yet?"

"Hah. Well, while we were having this phenomenal chat, we arrived at our destination." Ava unveiled her hands and pointed up at the building in front of them. Gil followed her finger. It was a tall building with many glass windows running up it. It fit in well with the surrounding buildings it stood among.

He then looked to the ground floor and spotted an entrance. Similar to the last time, it was guarded. A few inconspicuous looking figures dotted the side of it. Gil wouldn't be able to charge straight in without causing some sort of commotion. He put a hand to his chin while trying to think of alternatives.

"Yo.", said Ava, patting Gil's shoulder. "I know a way in. Care to follow me for a bit longer?"

"A way in? You mean…"

She laughed to herself. "You following me or what?" She then ran off to her right, heading into an alleyway and out of sight. Gil furrowed his bows and followed her, turning into the alleyway.

Where'd she go? Gil looked around, the rain still pouring down onto his body. "Yo!", heard Gil, and he looked up to see Ava climbing a ladder. She held onto it with one hand and waved to him with the other. "Come up here!"

Gil, very confused at this point, followed. He quickly climbed up the ladder. It was quite long, but he got to the top without issue. When he reached the top, he spotted Ava standing by the edge that faced his destination.

Gil stood on the left of Ava and stared at the building in front of him. He had to get in there, but how? Ava said she knew a way in, but he couldn't see one. "What now?"

"We're here."

"What? Where? How do I get-"

"You jump across."

Gil's eyes widened. "What?"

"Just break through the windows. I mean, it's not like you care about the owner or anything."

"What… What do-"

"Hey, you got a phone?", asked Ava. She pulled one out of her pocket and held it up to Gil.

What was this girl doing… "No…? Why?"

"So I can get your number, duh."

"…Huh?"

"To stay in contact?"

"Why would you want that?"

Ava smiled widely at Gil before facing the building again. "I can't wait to see this on the news. Make sure to get all three of them back safely."

Gil widened his eyes again, looking at Ava with intent. "How do you know-"

"I know many things." She stepped closer to the edge. "See you around, Gil. Let's be friendlier when we next see each other, alright?"

"When we see each other… What do you-" Before he could finish, Ava spun around and waved lightly.

"Go get 'em, tiger."

With that, she fell backwards off of the building. Gil rushed towards her and looked over the edge, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Who… What… Huh?"

He would be seeing her again? Why? Who was she, and how did she know about what he was doing? She knew about the other three too? How much about them did she know, and how?

She really did know many things…

But there were current events to take care of.

Gil shook off his thoughts and walked backwards, lowering down and readying himself. After some brief preparation, he sprinted towards the edge of the building and jumped.

* * *

**Inside the building:**

"Ugh… Way to go in stealthy." Gil stood up from the floor and looked at himself. Luckily, there was no glass in him. His gauntlets made short work of the window, but it was better to be safe. After he finished with that, he looked around the room.

He seemed to be… in an office. There were… were they called "cubicles?" Designated sections for people to work in? That might've been the word. He saw PCs and printers all around the place, along with paintings and… a fish tank?

Looking away from the aquatic attraction, Gil also saw cameras and alarms dotting the ceiling. A few of which were already focused on him. "Yeah, no chance of stealth.", he muttered, as he summoned his sword.

Now that he was in the facility, his anger started to resurface. He had been distracted by the mysterious Ava, but now he had his mind on only one thing.

Save them.

He furrowed his brows and grit his teeth, trying to see any figure in the darkened office. He spotted nothing moving, so he advanced forward. He never lowered his guard. He… didn't really know where to go, or how to get there. Or anywhere.

Just then, he heard a speaker turn on. "Hey, silent film, how ya doing?"

Gil's grip on his weapon tightened as he heard Faust. "Where are you?"

"Top floor. Come find me before it's too late." Gil saw a wall mounted screen light up. On it, he could see Renna, Neptune and Uzume chained to metal chairs. "Wouldn't want them to get hurt."

Gil heard a "ding," and looked towards his left. "But first, got a little surprise for you." A door opened and out poured a group of people. "Try not to die, alright?", finished Faust, before the screen, and all lights, turned off.

Gil was blinded, unable to see in the darkness. Mechanical covers slithered across the windows, completely snuffing out the light. Well, at least the fish tank's light was still on. Other than that, he could see the cyan on his sword, his gauntlets, and a few floating green lights… Were those…?

Gil dove to the floor at the sound of gunfire. So they have headgear that allowed them to see in the dark? Great. He rolled to his side and into what he presumed was a cubicle. He leaned against it and squatted.

Gil felt a sharp pain in his left leg, as well as some wetness. He… he'd been shot, again. Already. He let out a brief gasp of air as he sat on the floor again. Dammit, dammit! In, out… In through the nose, out the mouth… Calm, calm…

What could he do? He'd have to find some way to light up… Yes, his light magic. That would give away his position though… But what other choice did he have?

Gil held his left hand out and conjured a ball of light, throwing it into the air where it hovered. Okay, more light. They knew where he was, but there was light. Now he could see. He ducked his head around the right of the cubicle…

He felt a bullet graze his head and quickly fell back into cover. He felt the right side of his face become wet. Come on, Gil, don't be so… Gil heard a "He's here!" as well as a "Come out with your hands up!" How many were there?

Someone was close. He heard the footsteps. He had to do something.

When he heard the footsteps right around the corner, Gil stood up and frantically grabbed the barrel of the man's gun, pushing it away as he sent his right fist into the man's chest.

The man recoiled backwards and fell onto the floor, but rolled over onto his feet and reached into his left pocket, quickly grabbing and throwing a knife at Gil. Gil managed to see it just in time to block it with his sword. He heard a gunshot and dove to the floor. He crawled across it until he was behind more cover.

There, Gil realized that he'd been shot again…. In the left shoulder. Gil bit his lip in pain while trying to stay silent.

Now was not the time for his pain. He had to get to his group. Renna had done it before, so could he. She did it many times, and so had he. She had killed people before, and so had he.

He would do it again.

Gil slowly stood up and leaned against the cubicle wall. He had a plan. He could tell where the people were from there headgear, and that's how he'd track them. He would use his light to blind them.

And then he would kill them.

He turned the corner of the cubicle, looking to see any green lights. He didn't, and advanced forward. He snuck across the office while kneeling down, still holding his sword. His eyes had adjusted somewhat, but that didn't help him too much.

He stuck his hand into the air and shot light at the ceiling. He closed his eyes and looked to the floor as it exploded, and he hoped that it would blind everyone else. He looked up and briefly saw four people covering their eyes a small distance away from him. He instantly mapped the route towards the closest one, ready to ambush them once they all started moving again.

The brief flash snuffed out, and darkness consumed the room once more. Gil held onto the side of a desk as he slowly stood up. He started walking forwards, taking single, silent steps…

He felt a hand coil itself around his neck and a hot pain in his back. He pulled at the arm around him, but it let him fall to the floor.

He'd… been stabbed in the back. He recognized this pain. Gil lied on the floor while staring blankly into the darkness, seeing the cyan accents on his sword. He heard the group talking amongst each other. He'd been through similar things before. That didn't take away from the affects it had on his body, but he knew this feeling. He felt a kick at his body.

He recalled his sister. Now… was not the time to die.

Gil sprung to his feet, holding his left hand out behind him while facing the enemy. They readied their gun in shock and fired, but Gil held the front of the barrel, causing the bullets to deflect away.

The flashes of gunfire could be seen, and the man behind the gun surely saw Gil's face. And surely, he was terrified.

Gil pulled the gun forward and broke the man's arm with his free hand before spinning around and throwing the man to the floor. Before the man could do anything else, Gil dropped to a knee and picked up his sword before plunging it into the man's neck.

He'd done it. The man threw his arms up at his neck before they stopped moving entirely. Gil stood up, unsheathing the sword from the ground. He'd really done it again.

This was a familiar feeling.

Then, for some reason, he recalled what Ava had said. About how he could jump through the windows without worry, since he didn't care about the owner? Yeah... yeah, that would work. Gil conjured fire in his left hand and sprayed it around him, catching anything he could on fire.

He saw four in front, two to his sides, two behind him. Eight in total. Eight to kill.

They all readied their weapons on Gil as he dove to the floor again. They were then all blinded by another one of Gil's "flashbangs." Gil pivoted around, heading towards the two behind him. They were near the edge of the building, where the windows would be.

Gil sprinted towards one and shoulder charged him, sending him crashing into the window covers. They fell to the floor, and Gil shifted his sword into a spear as he rushed to the other man before he could fire. With a quick swipe, Gil cut the gun in half.

The man backed off and reached behind him. Before he could pull out whatever he was reaching for, Gil swiped at his arm and cut it off. He then plunged his spear into the man's gut and forced him to the floor.

Quickly getting back up, Gil turned back to the other man and shoved him against the window cover again. He could feel that the material wasn't very strong, so Gil punched through it, ripped open an opening, and threw the man through it, letting him fall to the hard concrete below.

Now more light shone into the room, not that he needed it.

Gil heard more gunshots, feeling his right arm get hit as he dashed away. He ducked behind a pillar as he held onto his newly injured arm, seething. He glanced around the pillar to see the remaining six approaching.

Gil shot a steam of fire at them before throwing his spear through it. It impaled one of the men, flying straight through his abdomen. Gil summoned his spear back into his hands as he fell to the floor again, evading even more gunfire.

He'd have to do something about their guns. Metal… He could heat the metal up? The heat would cause them to drop their weapons. Then he'd have free reign over them. Would that even work?

Gil threw a fireball at the five men, with them diving out of the way to avoid it. He jumped over a fallen cabinet while advancing, heading for a singled out enemy. When Gil got to him, he quickly placed him in a chokehold and dragged him behind cover, out of sight from the other four.

Then Gil started strangling him. Gil saw the man reach for his knife, but he pushed the man away and kicked him to the floor. Gil then stood above the man and plummeted his foot into the back of his neck. That… was enough to kill him.

Four more. Gil held his spear, readying it for another throw. He heard gunfire directed towards him and dove behind cover. He looked around at the office. It was all burning. The tables, the floor, the ceiling. All of it was on fire.

Gil had a plan. He saw the four men advancing from behind his cover and readied a fireball. He lobbed it up at the ceiling, where it exploded, causing the roof to collapse onto the men. They all managed to dodge out of the way, but the debris fell through the floor, dropping down to the lower level.

Gil stood up and looked at the men. They were separated, and some of them had lost their weapons. He would use this as an opportunity to close in on them. He ran to his right, vaulting over office equipment as he converted his spear into a sword. He turned left and saw two men, neither with weapons in hand. He sprung forward, kneeing one of them to the floor before plunging his blade through his chest.

He looked up and blocked a knife thrust with his left arm. Gil let go of his sword and grabbed the man's leg, bringing him to the ground. As Gil crawled up to him, the man thrust with his knife, stabbing just under Gil's right shoulder. Gil grimaced but held onto the man's arm and pulled.

Gil then grabbed onto his neck and, with a quick movement, snapped the man's neck. Gil slowly stood up from the floor and then reached behind himself to grab his sword. As he grabbed it, he heard crashing. More of the ceiling had collapsed around the large room. He had to be quick.

Two left. He ran forward, spotting the enemies from behind. Both of them had guns. He sprinted towards them, kicking one of them in the back of the knee and forcing them to the floor. After that, he swung his sword at the other one, although they dodged out of the way. The man readied his gun and fired, hitting Gil in his right thigh.

Gil fell to a knee as he shot fire at the man, catching some of his outfit on fire. The man fought desperately to put it out, but before he could do anything, Gil impaled him through the chest with his sword. After that, he turned to face the last man who was getting up from the floor with gun in hand.

Gil swung his sword at the man, but he backstepped out of the way of the attack and fired a volley of bullets. Gil managed to dive to his left, impacting into a pillar. More of the ceiling collapsed as Gil stood up. He flanked to his right, sprinting towards the final enemy and grabbed onto his gun, ripping it out of his hands.

Gil then punched at the man's neck with his left hand before shooting light out of it, slicing straight through the man's neck like a laser.

Gil watched on as the man fell to the floor. Now that he was done, he noticed that they all wore similar outfits to last time. Full body suits, dark colours, demon masks. But enough of that. Through the fire, Gil saw the door that the men all came through. He ran towards it, dodging parts of the ceiling and jumping over obstacles.

He entered into what he knew was an elevator. The big button that said "Top Floor" gave away which one he had to press. He leaned against the walls of the elevator as it ascended, assessing his condition.

Alright, so… He'd been shot in his left leg, left shoulder, right arm, right thigh, and his head was grazed. He'd been stabbed in the back and in his right shoulder. He was… not in the best condition. Would that stop him? No. But he was worried about Faust's… tricks. The chemicals he'd used on Gil before were strong enough to make knock him out. He'd have to watch out for that. Or he'd have to do what he asked Neptune to do to him the first time.

He huffed to himself as he recalled that. He asked Neptune to slap him, and it was definitely surprising to her. It would probably be surprising to anyone.

"How long… does this take? Come on…" He gripped onto his right shoulder and looked up. He saw a "progress meter" above the door showing how close he was to the top. He was quickly approaching it, so he stood up straight and prepared himself.

The elevator made a "ding" as the door opened. Gil took cover beside it, taking a quick glance through to see if the coast was clear. He entered into what looked like a penthouse. Fancy looking pottery and sculptures sat along the pathway leading to, what he assumed, would be his destination. He walked along a tiled path, passing a swimming pool, a bar, and a Jacuzzi.

Just then, he noticed figures step out from behind him and he readied his sword, already swiping at the closest one. They all held melee weapons, but none of them attacked, choosing to dodge away from Gil's attacks. One then held out their hand and beckoned Gil towards them before continuing down the path. Gil stopped his offense and followed the figure.

Gil slowly followed. He knew that Faust was playing games with him, and he hated it. Treating Gil like this, leading Gil straight to him. Like he had this all planned out, and like all of this was going to play exactly how he wanted it to.

That wouldn't be happening.

Gil walked up a flight of steps that led to an elevated room. When he reached the top, he could see the city skyline in the distance. He could also see Faust and his three captives a distance away. "So nice of you to join us.", said Faust.

Gil started raising a hand when Faust raised his own, holding up a remote with many buttons, "Don't even think about it. You so much as raise your hand at me and I'll kill them. And I'm serious this time. I got contraptions hooked up to them that'll do some pretty nasty stuff…"

Faust smirked at Gil. "I can poison them, stab them, make their veins burn, their world spin, anything like that. So DON'T move."

Gil glared at Faust menacingly. When he didn't back down, Faust threatened to press a button on the remote. This made Gil drop his gaze to the floor, signaling his agreement.

"Good. Now listen to what I say." Two men started approaching Gil. "Don't touch them. They're going to strap some things to you that are also connected to this little device in my hand. And take a guess at what I can do to you."

Gil stared daggers into Faust, who laughed. "And yet you can't do anything about it." The men then strapped eight black... collar-like contraptions around Gil. Two on each arm, two on each leg. Gil pulled away from the guards when they finished.

"And now… I'll have you fight again. But first, some rules." He lifted up each hand. "Every time you take down one of my crew, you'll get a surprise from those collars. And every time you get hit… One of your friends gets hurt." Gil stood unmoving, continuing his death stare.

Faust then looked throughout Gil's multiple injuries. "Not looking so good, huh? Must've gotten pretty hurt back-"

"Shut up and let me fight."

Faust chuckled to himself as he pulled out a gun and shot at Gil. Only, it wasn't a bullet, but a dart loaded with chemicals. Gil dived out of the way, looking up as the men who had escorted him started advancing towards him. Gil stood up and readied himself.

Two of them advanced on him at once. Gil thrust his sword forward to separate them before bringing it back and swiping it around himself. He cut through one of the men's stomachs and then smacked the other one with the flat of his blade. The man fell to the floor, where Gil thrust his sword through his neck.

Gil turned around to see another one jumping at him. Gil dashed backwards, turning his sword into a spear and launching it at the enemy, piercing them through their gut. Gil looked around and saw none of the others advancing.

"That's three."

Gil felt his right arm and leg burn up. He fell to a knee as he gripped his arm, screaming as the burning sensation in it continued. He felt like his arm and leg were going to explode. It was excruciatingly drawn out, like a scalpel being dragged across each individual vein in his limbs.

While that happened, he spotted a figure approaching him. He struggled to dive out of the way from a strike, rolling across onto his left side.

He then felt piercing sensations along his left leg. His leg was being cut by small blades protruding from the arm-collar. He looked to the sky and screamed again before he was struck across the face with a blunt object.

No…

"Let him watch."

Gil managed to prop himself up with his arms before gazing beyond Faust.

"Who should it be… Hmmm, who do you think?", said Faust, grinning at Gil. Gil slowly stood up, advancing towards Faust. "Maybe… your sister?!"

Gil's eyes shook as he saw his sister wake up. She looked around puzzlingly before her face contorted in pain as she yelped. Her metal chair was bolted to the floor, but she shook and writhed in an effort to escape her confines. The many metal chains strapping her down shook from the effort.

Faust looked at her and huffed. "Good thing I used stronger restraints than last time. I think I'll keep her awake." He pressed a button, and Renna stopped moving erratically. She coughed a few times before raising her gaze to her brother.

"Renna!", screamed Gil, before he felt another strike to his back. He was pushed to a knee, but quickly got up and viciously backhanded the enemy with his left hand, sending them back a few meters. He returned his attention to his group, realizing what would happen.

He saw Renna start again, shaking in agony. He then heard Neptune scream, awakened to go through the pain. She grabbed her chair and started shaking it.

Gil moved towards them again, but other figures blocked his way. He scoffed to himself and brought his fists to his sides.

He had to focus on getting to them. He had to get Renna. Yes, that was the key. Renna. That was his plan. Get to her, then…

He punched his own legs in an effort to distract himself from the pain, which managed to make a difference. He shook his fists to loosen them up. He frowned at Faust. "Why are you doing this? This is entirely unnecessary! If you want to kill me, then just do it!"

Faust looked on as if he'd been insulted. He held up his hand to stop his men. "What do you mean "unnecessary?" Maybe for you, but for me, this is right down my alley! You don't think this was what I had in mind from the get go? Why do you think I expected you guys to attempt a rescue the first time? I enjoy this, if you couldn't already tell."

"You're sick."

"Some might say. Comes with the profession, I suppose." Faust then dropped his hand, signalling for his crew to advance on Gil.

Gil got into his fighting stance. He grabbed a fist heading for him and twisted it with his left hand before delivering an uppercut. He then sent the palm of his right hand full force into the enemy's face before spinning around and kicking them in the chest.

Two more approached him, and he bared the sharp claws of his gauntlets. He backstepped to avoid a kick from one before he conjured fire in both hands. He projected fire, engulfing both adversaries. Gil then stepped towards one and slit their throat with his claws. He turned to the other and grabbed their shoulders from the front, using them as leverage as he kneed them in the face. He then held his right palm to the man's chest as he shot a beam of light through it that disappeared shortly after piercing the body.

Gil grimaced as he heard screams from his group. He had to ignore them for now. He had to keep focused.

That was when the group became larger. Three people advanced on him at once, and Gil was put into situations where he couldn't attack without being attacked himself. He'd break one of their legs, shatter one of their collar bones, only to be struck across the side or back by the third enemy.

Gil felt his left arm go limp. He couldn't feel it anymore. He summoned his sword into his remaining hand and lugged it over his shoulder as more enemies advanced. He jumped into the air, spinning around and slamming his sword onto the nearest enemies before three more pounced on him.

He threw his sword at one before throwing of fire across the ground. The remaining enemy sidestepped it and punched Gil across the face before swiping at Gil's chest. Gil managed to move out of the way, although a large gash ripped through his shirt. He then felt his left leg go limp as he fell to a knee. He could feel his left arm again, at least. Gil was forced to use his magic to repel the enemies.

He managed to hold them off with fireballs and light beams, and he managed to decommission some in the process. When he felt that he was able to stand up again, he started running as fast as he could towards Renna. But there were still so many of them.

Gil's neck tensed up as he readied himself for more. Before anything else happened, all eight of his collars activated, simultaneously stabbing him, burn his veins, make him disorientated and fall over.

Gil lied down on his stomach, breathing in heavy breaths. He reached forward and started crawling. He looked up and saw Renna staring at him with equally heavy breaths. Her eyes were watery and she looked heartbroken. But there was also hatred in her eyes…

Neptune was also awake, but nobody but Faust was aware of that. She looked to her right at Renna and Gil. She also saw Uzume, who was still unconscious. She had also been put through the ropes, but she hadn't been allowed to stay awake. Probably because Faust knew she was a CPU. Neptune though about how they'd ever get out of here. Gil was down, Uzume was asleep, and Renna was strapped down, same as her.

Unless…

Faust walked over to the crawling Gil and looked over him. Gil ignored him and tried to stand up, but Faust kicked him in the stomach to force him back down. "Ugh, get up. Get up and fight me. Or do you want them to suffer some more?" Gil heard the girls scream again. He glanced upwards and saw Faust looking down at him as if he was disappointed. "You're supposed to be stronger than this, right?"

Gil wondered what was going on inside Faust's head. He slowly raised himself onto one knee and stood up. He positioned his fists in front of him and near his chest.

"That's more like it. And don't even think of using your sword. I can press a button faster than you can swing that thing.", said Faust, unsheathing his knife before running at Gil.

Gil blocked a swipe with his left arm before sending a palm into Faust's stomach. Faust was briefly disoriented, but managed to sidestep a punch to the face. Faust jumped up and spun around, kicking Gil in the back of the head. Gil fumbled forward but caught himself before he fell, turning around to see an already running Faust. He threw out a punch, but Faust spun around it and thrust his knife to Gil's chest. Gil managed to grab the blade just as it pierced his skin, using the opportunity to headbutt Faust. Faust grabbed his face as he walked backwards, flipping the knife in the air and throwing it as he caught it. It pierced into Gil's upper right arm, and he pulled it out and threw it to the floor.

He started running towards Faust, but he felt his legs burn and give out. He kept himself up with his hands as he saw Faust approaching him. He blocked a kick to his face before he felt a sole hit the top of his head and force him to the floor. Faust then walked towards Renna's chair, sheathing his knife and crossing his arms. "Go on. Try to save her. Come on."

Gil breathed heavily as he started crawling forward. He became dizzy, but he continued onwards. Slowly, painfully, he crawled. He dug his claws into the ground as he pulled himself forward. He was approaching Renna's chair, seeing Faust leaning on it from behind.

Faust smirked to himself. He pulled out a knife and twirled it around his right hand, watching on as Gil approached Renna's chair. He looked up as he heard sirens coming from the streets. "You hear that? They're coming for you. That fire you started? Yeah. And when they see what else happened here, we'll be able to tell them that you did it, with footage and all. After all, you did kill some of my men. And we'll get out free, spinning the story however which way I want."

Gil continued to crawl on, coiling his right hand along the foot of Renna's chair. Tears ran down her face and fell down onto Gil as he pulled himself forward. He slowly raised his head to look at her.

That is when Faust shoved his knife into Gil's back. Renna witnessed Gil's face contort as he yelled., with Faust standing up and wipingthe blood off of his blade. Gil unsummoned his gauntlets and reached over his shoulder, touching his fresh wound. He then reached upwards and grabbed onto the arm of Renna's chair, almost close enough to touch her hand. Renna struggled to reach out with her trapped hand, but was just out of reach. She moving her chest forward, but chains kept her firmly in place.

"Give it up.", said Faust, grabbing the back of Gil's neck. Gil then summoned his sword into his left hand and swung it behind him, catching Faust off guard. He managed to step out of the way in time, but it was a narrow escape. Gil then thrust the sword into the ground and used it as leverage, standing up and reaching for Renna.

He cupped his bloodied hand around her cheek and stared into her eyes, feeling her tears run down his limb. He gave a small smile at her before his eyes closed and his body fell, leaving red marks on the left of her face.

"And he almost had me worried there.", said Faust, brushing off his green shirt. "Glad that's over and done with." He puffed out his collar after sheathing his knife at his waist. "What do you think? Any comments?"

Renna stared down at her brother. He lied limp on his stomach, his clothes torn and his body tortured. She knew what he was doing, but… Why did he always have to suffer for her? Why couldn't it ever be simple? Why did he always have to get hurt!?

Faust slowly ran a hand through his hair. "Yeaaah, I'd be shocked too. But you better talk. Come on, give me some feedback. Don't want him getting even more hurt, right? Maybe even… killed?"

In that instant, Faust set his eyes back on Renna. She had a beastly grin across her bloody face. She leaned forward as her body lit up.

"I'll rip your head off!"

And her eyes… They were dark.

Faust blocked his eyes and felt strong gust of wind push him back. He found his footing and saw Renna's empty chair. His eyes widened in shock as he turned around to the sound of screaming and shouting.

He saw a cyan haired CPU literally ripping his men apart. She tore through them with her bare hands, breaking bones and stabbing into his men with her claws. She shot out black… things and grabbed two of them, pulling them towards her before she forced their faces into the floor many, many times. She stood up and flew just above the ground, heading for more of the group.

They didn't stand a chance.

For one, she grabbed their neck and thrust her hand into their stomach before throwing them off the building. For another, she kicked their knee in and maneuvered around them, snapping their neck and kicking them to the floor.

She scratched across another person's chest and face before breaking their face in their face with a headbutt. She grabbed another one and enclosed only their head in a water bubble, letting them struggle as they drowned.

She had a hold on the front of another person's face, squeezing it as hands tried to pry her off. She kneed into their chin, snapping another neck.

Faust backed away as he watched the violence unfold. This… She… A CPU?! No, no… She was a demon! A CPU would never ever cause… this much violence! Not even that crazy Planeptune CPU!

He continued to look on, watching his men fall in bloody piles and dismembered stacks. He fell over and saw that he had tripped over that kid… Gil.

Then… he saw Cyan eyes dart towards him. He saw Renna a distance away, but he could tell that she was glaring right at him. He looked to his left and saw the redhead and the purple girl. That Neptune girl… She was still awake, right? She would convince Renna to stop, right?!

Faust briefly saw Neptune reveal a tiny section of her eyes to get a view. Was she… pretending to be unconscious?! Did she know about this?! He reached out towards her. "Hey!"

He felt another gust of wind and a shadow cover his face. He slowly turned his head forward to gaze at the CPU in front of him.

Her cyan and grey suit was splashed with red. He could see it dripping off of her claws, and there was some on her face too. She stared down at him with a wide smile, the same smile she'd been wearing since the beginning of the massacre, showing off her teeth. Her sharp, predatory teeth.

He raised a hand to her, about to speak, but Renna placed a finger to her mouth. Faust quivered in fear as any thought of talking left his mind.

Renna thinned out her smile. "Get. Off of him."

Faust realized that she was talking about Gil, and he quickly scurried away, closer to the edge of the building.

"Stay right there.", said Renna, before shifting her attention to Gil. Her face dropped as she felt around him, flipping him onto his back as she took his shirt off. She saw the multiple wounds across his body, and there were some along his legs as well. She ripped off the eight black collars and held his body to her own.

She could fell his heartbeat. His slow, powerful heartbeat. She coiled her arms around her back and hugged him, although she got no response. From her hands, water flowed across his body and made it's ways to his different injuries. Up his arms, down his legs, across his chest and around his back, before finally settling at his face. She still held him in a hug, closing her eyes and rocking from side to side.

This is what she wanted. More than anything else in the world, he was the only thing she needed. The only thing she wanted. Only him. Nobody else. Nothing else.

And nobody would take him from her. Nobody.

She heard shuffling in front of her as Faust stood up, pulling out his controller and gun. He raised his gun at her and held a finger over his remote. "Don't… Don't do anything." His hand shook as he held out the firearm. Would he even be able to escape? He had to try!

Renna didn't seem to pay him any mind, instead caressing her injured brother. She rested his chin on her shoulders as she sat up, closed in a warm embrace.

"You… stay right there and I'll… I'll go away! I'll never touch any of you again, and I actually mean that this time! You won't hear my name ever again! I don't want to deal with… things like you."

Renna stopped rocking back and forth, opening her eyes just enough to look at Faust.

"Don't! I still have this!" He emphasized the remote. "I can still kill the other two, alright? Unless you let me go."

Renna stopped smiling.

"Agreed? Agreed, right? Yeah, yeah, you agree with me. Wouldn't want them ending up like your bro-"

Faust watched on as, in a split second, Renna dashed towards him and swiped her left hand at him. He fell backwards and onto his back. He looked to his left at his… at his…

His arm was gone.

He raised his right hand, pointing his gun at Renna and firing. She dodged around it and had a hold of his hand, bending his wrist backwards. He screamed in pain as he felt his hand break. He fell to the floor and brought his hand to his chest, but Renna grabbed his right arm and kneed his elbow, causing a snap. Faust once again screamed in pain.

When he was able to look at Renna, he could see her dark eyes as she reached towards his neck. Her sharp fingers coiled around him, lifting him off the floor and into the air. She elevated herself off the ground to be at eye level.

She stared at him for a moment. "What did I say I'd do to you?" Renna thrust her free hand at his face and gripped it before pulling up. She let his body, and his head, fall to the floor.

She faced forward for a while before looking up. It was till raining. She could hear the sirens of police vehicles and firetrucks around the building. There were probably news reporters too. Faust had mentioned that Gil started a fire? Good. She'd finish the job.

She flew towards Gil and picked him up, flying to a nearby building and placing him on the roof. She flew back and retrieved Neptune and Uzume from their restraints before also placing them by Gil.

She then furrowed her brows and flew high up into the air, rocketing towards the gang's building as a cyan meteor. She crashed straight through it, smashing through all the levels before she hit the ground floor, and then destroyed the supporting pillars and structures of the building as she flew between them.

The building started to collapse, and Renna burst through it to see the streets of Lowee. There were many blue and red lights, emergency vehicles and rescue equipment. The people were retreating, including a few news reporters and their accompanying teams.

As she hovered, she saw a man she recognized get out of a car that she also recognized. It was Dusty. It looked like he'd just arrived, and he gazed on in awe at what was happening around him.

His eyes rested on Renna, hovering above what would've been a few floors high. She narrowed his eyes at him and rocketed off to her group. Dusty stood in amazement before he got back in his car and drove back home, away from the collapsing building.

She landed on the roof of the building and turned around, seeing the falling structure from a front row seat. She watched it crash onto the road and into the nearby buildings.

She then turned around and walked towards the other three. How would she carry all of them…

She'd have to make two trips. Two very, very quick trips. She held Gil in her hands and sped off towards where she thought Dusty's house was. She realized halfway that she hadn't made herself invisible, and immediately cast it on herself. After a few minutes of flying, Renna found Dusty's house. He wasn't home yet. She safely placed Gil on the third floor before setting out to retrieve Uzume and Neptune. She was back within minutes.

After she placed Uzume and Neptune on their respective beds, she walked over to Gil's bed and sat next to him, still in her CPU form. She looked down at him and smiled.

Yup, this is definitely showing up on the news.

* * *

**And such, things progress. We've been in Lowee for a long time, don't you think it's about time we moved? Yeah, me too.**

**Soon.**

**As always, any constructive reviews are greatly appreciated. Or simply your thoughts.**

**That's all.**

**Goodbye for now!**


	30. Fond Farewells

**Hey. Today's, you know it, the end of the Lowee part. They've gotta move sometime, ya know?**

**It's also much shorter than my usual chapters. **

**Please enjoy.**

* * *

**Chapter 29:**

"So yeah, we've all decided that we're gonna leave today!"

Neptune, sitting in the lounge of Dusty's house, along with her redheaded partner and owner of said house, lounged back on a couch.

"And you're all certain about this?", asked Dusty.

"Yeah. It was unanimous.", answered Uzume. "Got places to see and be, ya know?"

"It's been just over a day since you guys got back, and you want to leave already? What about Gil?"

"He'll… be fine. He's a tough cookie.", answered Neptune.

Dusty lifted a lip in irritation. "Getting injured like he did two days in a row isn't something that a "tough cookie" can shake off. How do you think I felt when I saw all you back here with only Renna awake and her brother covered in blood and wounds?"

"We went through some of that hurt ourselves!", protested Neptune.

"And yet you're not bedridden like he is."

Uzume scratched her cheek. "Well, that was mostly due to Renna forcing him to rest."

Neptune pointed at Uzume. "Yeah, what she said! He'd be up and about if it was up to him."

Dusty shook his head and leaned on the arm of the couch. "Maybe she has the right idea."

"Well we all agreed to leave, so we're going to.", stated Neptune.

"I know that. I'm not opposed to you all leaving, but not so soon after Gil came back after going through what he did."

Neptune teasingly smiled at Dusty. "Hmm, so you're being protective and stuff? Hmmm?"

Dusty huffed to himself. "Call it that if you want, I'd call it being realistic."

"Being realistic isn't something Nepsy's used to.", said Uzume.

"I figured.", said Dusty. He then grabbed the TV remote and turned it on. "I want you guys to take a look at the news."

Neptune and Uzume drifted their eyes towards the screen as Dusty flipped through the channels. He found the one he wanted and stopped there, holding a hand out towards them. They all listened to what the reporter was saying.

"...early yesterday morning. Here's the story. News reporters arrived on scene, only to be welcomed by the sight of a collapsing building, destroying the surrounding area as well as killing and injuring multiple people. Rescue teams are still coordinating search parties in the ruins.

And yet that was not the only highlight of the day. Numerous amounts of people, all of which are eyewitness accounts, attest to have seen a flying, cyan figure leaving in wake of the destruction. Here is some footage that our team managed to capture."

The TV cut from the news reporter to the perspective of a camera pointing at the building, moments before it had collapsed. In the video, people were lined outside of the building, watching a fire that had broken out amidst the downpouring of rain. A reporter was on the scene, reciting what information they knew.

After that, people started pointing at the top of the building and shouting things like "Look up there!" and "The rooftop!" The camera shot up as the reporter spun to get a look, watching as a cyan burst of light emanated from the rooftop. A crashing was heard, the camera became shaky, and everyone gasped in awe.

Then, the cyan light from before descended through the multiple levels of the building, projecting light out of the windows of each floor as it flew downwards. Constant crashing occurred as it descended, before hitting the bottom floor and shooting through the sides of the building.

The structure gave out, and the building started to topple over, causing everyone to scream and run from the vicinity. As the news team ran away, the camera shakily remained locked onto the building.

The cyan light slowed down, floating midair and into sight. The camera paused and zoomed in on what looked to be a humanoid figure, although it was far too pixelated to pick up any major details.

Multiple pictures from different angles then showed up on the screen, with the reporter voicing how they were the pictures recovered from any salvageable equipment.

"From what can be seen, it appears as though a humanoid figure emerged from the wreckage of the building. Although unconfirmed, many claim it to be the appearance of a new CPU." Neptune and Uzume could both see that Dusty was giving them sideways glances. "...believe that this new "CPU" may be somehow related to a previous incident involving multiple CPUs in which a residential area was heavily damaged in the aftermath of what was assumed to be a major conflict.

But what do you, the viewers, think? Do you think each event is related? What are your opinions on the collapse of the building and the sudden appearance of this so-called "new CPU?"

The Basilicom has put out a statement which says that Lady White Heart herself will be looking into the inci-"

Dusty flicked through the different news channels, from local stations to coverages in the other nations. Each channel he flipped through covered the same topic.

Dusty turned the TV off and sharply glared at the two girls. "You have some explaining to do. And quickly."

Neptune and Uzume looked between each other nervously. "Can't I just say that it was a coincidence? Or are you smarter than that?"

Dusty smirked to himself. "The latter."

"Ahh, great. Uzume, don't you wanna explain it?"

Uzume hung her head. "There's no other way to explain it than how it is. No sugar-coating it, no stalling or trying to get onto another topic."

Neptune nodded to herself. "Yeah, I guess. B-But how about… Um, how about you ask, and we answer?" Neptune leaned forward and spoke softer. "And don't let Renna hear us. That's veeeeery important."

Dusty looked suspicious, but he returned to his normal ways and started asking questions. "We all know that that blue girl is a CPU. There's no other way around it, and I saw it with my own eyes."

"I-Is that so?", stuttered Neptune.

"I don't think it's you…" He looked from Neptune to Uzume. "...And I don't think it's you. Neither of you look like you'd be blue CPUs. More like… red, and purple."

Uzume pondered to herself. "Red, huh?"

"Got something to add?"

"N-No, don't worry about it!"

Dusty then leaned forward. "It's Renna, isn't it?"

Neptune and Uzume looked between each other tiredly before each of them nodded at him.

Dusty took a moment to absorb the information. His mouth hung open while his brows angled downwards. He leaned back and rubbed his chin with a hand before resting that hand against his head. "You're serious?"

"We're serious.", said Uzume.

"Wow… How in the-"

"Keep your voice down!", said Neptune, pointing at the ceiling. "We mustn't let them overhear us!"

"Why, don't they know that you know?" Neptune nervously looked to the side, biting her lip and finally smiling awkwardly at Dusty. "They don't know that you know. They seriously don't know that you know. And why haven't you told them?"

"It's more complicated than that.", said Uzume. "If they know that we know, our situation changes in more ways than you think."

"So you've got a couple of reasons to keep things quiet."

"Exactly. So please don't-"

"I won't. I'm curious, but I won't jeopardize whatever it is that you two are doing." Dusty narrowed his eyes coldly. "Unless you plan on hurting them."

Neptune held her arms out and shook her head. "Geez, no, we'd never do that! Cross my Nep and hope to die!"

"We're doing the exact opposite. We're trying to help them.", said Uzume.

"I sure hope so. Wait, wait… So because Renna is a CPU, what does that make Gil?", asked Dusty.

Uzume scratched the back of her head. "We're… Not really sure about that on our side. We've been told that they're both half-CPUs."

"But you've only seen Renna transform?"

"Yeah."

"We don't even know if he can transform.", said Neptune. She only really thought about that now… Could he transform? Hmmm… She raised a hand to her chin while thinking.

"...Maybe we should leave it at that for now.", said Uzume. "I'm gonna go check up on them."

"I'll do that too.", said Neptune. They both got up and headed upstairs. "You think it was right to tell him?"

"I don't think we had much of a choice at this point. Hey, how about we… talk about something before we go up to them?", asked Uzume. They stopped on the second floor, leaning against the walls of the room. They each slid down until they sat side by side.

Neptune rested her arms at her sides. "Alright then, whatcha wanna talk about?"

"I wanna ask… What was it like to see Renna in her CPU form?"

Neptune pulled her knees towards herself and wrapped her hands around them. She leaned the side of her face on them, looking away from Uzume. "I want you to imagine an animal, alright?"

"W-What?!"

"Bear with me. Imagine an animal that is so ferocious in it's movements. It's super quick and, like, super strong. It's teeth are sharp, and it's claws are similar. Okay?"

"I don't like where this is going, Nepsy…"

"And ya think I do? I'm saying it how it is, since I was awake during ALL of it. So you're imagining that, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Now also put in the picture that it was dead set on a goal. Like it had somewhere to be, or, let's say, something to protect. Alright?"

"Please just get to the point."

"Fine. So all of those things, along with a smile."

"S-She was smiling?"

"During most of it. And there you have it. That was her."

"Geez, Nepsy… that bad?"

"It was." They then sat in silence for a while. The rain outside had died down since yesterday, and that was a contributing reason in their decision to leave.

"Well, Nepsy, we better go check up on them.", said Uzume, getting up off the floor. "Go see if they're both alright."

"I think it's more so Gilly that we should be worried about."

Uzume placed a palm to her head. "Yeah, he came back in such a bad state. And he tells us to care about ourselves! Why's he so… like that…"

Neptune stood up. "Dunno. But we should actually get going, like you said."

"R-Right, right." They both started walking up another flight of stairs. When they got to the top, they walked through a small hallway and through a doorway on the left. They opened it and saw a fairly normal bedroom, with two figures residing by the bed.

Gil was lying in the bed while facing the ceiling, deep in his sleep. Renna rested beside him, and it looked like she had fallen asleep as well while staying by his side.

"Awww, look at them. All snuggly and wuggily.", said Neptune.

"Maybe we should wake Rensy up. Get her to go eat some food or something."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea. She's been stuck up here the whole day." Neptune walked over to Renna and gently shook her shoulder. "Renny? You good?"

After taking some time to stir, Renna looked around herself. She sighed to herself and stretched, making noise as she did so. She then looked between her two companions. "What's going on?", she whispered.

"Checking up on you. Can we… talk? In another room?", asked Neptune.

Renna threw her vision to Gil before nodding and getting up, following Neptuna and Uzume out of the room. She slid the door behind her. "What about?"

Uzume played with her hands. "How… is Gilsy?"

"He's doing better. He told me that… that he was injured even before he came to rescue us, so that didn't help. He's still hurting a lot. Buuuut, him being him, he doesn't like to show it. I pretty much had to force him to rest."

"Quite useful that your water can heal him, huh? Is that why he can go through all this without a problem.", said Neptune.

"Yeah… And I'm glad I'm able to use my magic like this."

"What else can you do with your magic?", asked Uzume, leaning against a wall.

"Well I can go invisible with my dark magic. And I can put people to sleep."

"So you can just force people to conk out?"

"Yeah. Gotta be really close to do it though."

"Huh. I never knew that.", said Uzume.

"Renna…", started Neptune. "I… wanna ask you some questions about last night…"

"Sure. What about?"

"Well, uh… how'd we get home?"

Renna's face stayed unchanged. "Gilly must've gotten us back. I wasn't awake at the time." She looked to the floor and her expression fell. "I hate to think that he carried us home all by himself… How would he even do that?"

Neptune nodded to herself. She knew that was a lie. She'd been awake when Renna carried all of them. And Renna was so convincing, too… "Yeah. And did you hear the news? It's all over the world."

Renna took a quizzical face. "What news?"

"The building that we were stuck in was completely obliterated.", said Uzume. "But that's not what's making headlines. People are thinking that there's a new CPU in town."

Renna's eyes flashed wide for a brief moment. "A… new CPU? Really? Why's that?"

Neptune smiled at her. "They got plenty of footage of this blue flying person-thingy coming out of the building we were stuck in. It's not official, but the majority thinks that it's a new Goddess."

"Really? That's… very big news. Thanks for telling me."

"Think we'll get to meet her?", asked Uzume.

Neptune smiled excitedly. "Ooooh, that'd be fun. Watcha think, Renny?"

"I dunno. I mean, what're the chances of that? If there really is a new CPU, she'd be doing… I dunno, maybe she has her own stuff to do."

Neptune narrowed her eyes slightly. "Don't you think that it's so weird how the CPU was in the same building as the one we were held captive in? I find that to be really strange."

Renna was looking towards the floor. "Me too. I wonder why she was there…"

Uzume nodded. "Same. I'd love to meet her and talk to her. But… why would a CPU need to level a building?"

"Perhaps she knew about the gang's hideout and wanted to deal with them.", said Renna.

"Strange for a CPU, let alone a brand new one, to get involved with other CPU's nations, though."

"I wouldn't know. I haven't really lived in one for a while."

"Maybe there'll be a new nation rising up soon? That'd be pretty frickin' cool.", said Uzume.

"Mhm." None of them made a sound for a good few seconds before Renna's expression lit up. "So, anything else to do before we leave?"

"Other than waiting for Gilsy to wake up, not really. We got all our stuff packed up and ready to go."

Neptune nodded in agreement. "You should get something to eat. Have to stay energized for when we go walkin' and stuff!"

Renna upturned her brows. "I suppose… but I wanna..."

"Don't worry about Gilsy. If you want, I can watch over him for a while."

Renna eyed Uzume. "Really now?"

"Yeah, I don't mind. Suppose I need the rest as well, so it'll be good for that too."

"I guess."

Neptune grabbed Renna by the hand and started leading her downstairs. "Come on, we gotta go get you some food! Uzume'll take good care of Gilly, don't you worry at all." She shot her eyes towards Uzume teasingly. "Isn't that right, you moe monster?"

"Shut up.", said Uzume.

Renna was pulled across the hallway, turning her head to look at Uzume before she disappeared downstairs. Uzume sighed to herself, scratching her cheek as she stood alone with her thoughts. "Why's Neptune so… ugh, forget it." She walked back towards the previous room, peering through as she slid open the door.

She walked inside, her eyes tracked on Gil as she took Renna's previous seat. She placed both her hands on each arm and fiddled with her fingers, looking around haphazardly. "Maybe I should let some light in…" She stood up and pulled open a pair of curtains. She saw that the weather was more akin to light rain at this point.

She sat down again, tapping her foot in a restless manner. "...Maybe I'll look around." She got up and took to investigating the room. It was mostly light grey in colour, with bookshelves and cupboards taking up the wall space. A desk also stood next to the window, but there was no computer present.

"Guess that's what happens when your family moves out." She heard shuffling and quickly spun around. Gil rolled over onto his left side to face away from the light. "Oh… Guess that makes sense."

She saw the dim light shine on Gil. Part of his blanket had fallen off as he'd rolled over, exposing some bandages wrapped around his shirtless body. Uzume meandered towards him and grabbed the blanket to pull it up…

"Maybe… I should have a look at his injuries? Just to be sure…" She gently dragged the blanket down his body so that she had a clearer image of his condition.

Her eyes widened as she saw the multitude of bandages and bruises lining his body. There were dark parts of skin, cuts that were healing, and a gash across the side of his face. "What the…" She reached towards him with a hand, but caught herself midway and brought it back towards herself. "Yeah, that's not a good idea."

As she surveyed his body, she noticed that he was shivering. "Oh, shoot!" She hastily covered him back up in the blanket. She backed away and sat back down. "Even with his healing… Damn, Gilsy, you gotta take it easier sometimes…"

She hadn't been awake during the rescue. Sure, she'd felt the pain that she was put through, and it hurt like hell, but there was nothing to show it. Same with Neptune and Renna. But Gilsy…

"Damn, man… Don't do this…" Uzume was reminded of when she was in a similar state. Back when she first met the little Nepsy and Gearsy, as well as big Nepsy. They saw the humongous purple Dark CPU approaching them when Uzume was all banged up. "Hah… Yeah, that was something."

Uzume leaned her chin on her fist while looking at Gil. She dropped her eyes, eventually closing them. Some rest would be nice…

"Ow, ugh… Dammit."

Uzume opened her eyes and saw Gil shuffling around on the bed, sitting up and facing away from her. He rolled his shoulders, wincing sometimes as he did so. He stretched his arms to his sides and looked at his chest while taking in all the damage. Uzume didn't think that he'd noticed her yet.

He stood up and took the bandages off. There were still marks and cuts, but no open wounds. He looked behind him and saw Uzume, widening his eyes at her. "H-Hey, Gilsy? You… feeling alright?", said Uzume, twiddling her thumbs.

Gil's alarmed face quickly softened as he looked around. "You were looking after me?"

"Well, just recently… Renna's been taking care of you for most of the day. I took over so that she could get some food…"

Gil nodded to himself. "That's good." He looked around some more. "Do you know where my shirt is?"

Uzume half-lidded her eyes. "No. It's all messed up anyway."

"That's fine for now. Better than nothing." He spotted his torn shirt to the left of Uzume, and walked over to retrieve it. He quickly put it on and looked at all the tears and holes.

"How do you feel?", asked Uzume.

"Still… in pain. Not enough much to stop me from moving, but it's there." He stretched around some more.

Uzume's face softened, becoming slightly downcast. "Are you always like this?"

Gil looked at her quizzically. "What do you mean?"

"Always so… so willing to put yourself in harm's way. I mean, I'm not one to talk, and neither are any of us, really, but you… Maybe it's because you've gotten hurt a lot recently, I dunno."

"I'm not sure I get what you're trying to say."

"Honestly, me neither… I think what I'm trying to say…" She stood up. "Is that you should seriously be more careful."

"I'll try."

"Don't just say that and then get injured! I really mean it!" Uzume pouted lightly while shooting her arms down.

Gil was taken aback. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but quickly shut it. "...I'll try harder."

"Yeah, you better!" Uzume was shifting over to her… other mode. "I don't wanna see you get injured any time soon! Scratch that, ever again! You got that?"

Gil looked to his side and scowled. "I'm not sure I won't ever get hurt again."

Uzume crossed her arms and huffed away, looking off as she continued to pout. Gil lightly gave an amused huff himself.

"What's so funny?!", shot Uzume.

"You're… changing."

Uzume raised an eyebrow quizzically. She thought about what he could mea- Oh, she'd begun to go all cutesy again, hadn't she? She shook her head and punched her fists together, clearing her throat to recompose herself. "W-Well the damn point still stands, you got that? I'm not sure if you've always done this in the past, but you've got to take better care of yourself from now on."

Gil didn't answer, looking at Uzume with narrow eyes. "We should go downstairs. Go get some food for ourselves."

"That doesn't answer the question!"

"I'm not sure you'd like the answer I'd give you."

Now it was Uzume who was taken aback. "W-What…? What do you mean…?"

He glanced at her with a sad smile. "Let's go join the others." He turned around and walked to the door, sliding it open for Uzume. "Come, let's go."

Uzume slowly walked past him, looking into his eyes as she did so. She spun around as she entered the doorway, watching Gil slide the door closed. When he turned around, Uzume walked down the passageway.

As they walked downstairs, Uzume pondered over what Gil meant by her not liking the answer he'd give. What did he mean by that?

* * *

**Later:**

Renna and Gil looked over the balcony of the third floor. The wind had started blowing, throwing the light rain that fell to the right.

Renna looked out at the city. "We've gotta be careful, Gilly. I've kinda gotten us on the news. That's twice now."

Gil looked at her. "You say that like I had no part in it. I'm the one that set the fire, we would've been on the news regardless."

"Still. We can't let the world know about us. We don't want people coming after us because of what we are."

"That would be… bad. Even though there already seems to be someone that knows about us."

"Yeah, I am confused by that girl you mentioned. Ava, yeah? You've already told me about her, but how do you think she knows about us?

"I have no clue. But she said that she'd… be involved with us in the future. We'll probably find out then."

Renna lowered her eyes. "I hope she doesn't cause a ruckus…"

"Me too." They then continued to stare out at the city before hearing shuffling behind them.

"Yo, you two. We're jet-set to leave, so come say goodbye.", said Uzume, retreating back downstairs.

Renna tapped on the railing. "Guess we should get to it?"

"I guess we should." They then walked downstairs. There, they regrouped with Neptune and Uzume, organizing everything they had to one last time before they were all ready.

Then, all four of them walked outside and turned around, lined up together. Dusty stood in the doorway to his home, ready to bid them farewell.

"Thanks for having us, Dusty! It was nice gettin' to know ya!", said Neptune, with an enthusiastic finger gun.

"And thanks for letting us stay here. And for… you know, helping us out with the more dramatic side of things.", thanked Uzume.

"And for making the gauntlets.", said Renna. "I'll never forget what you did for us. Thank you."

Dusty smiled lightly. "I'll not be forgetting the lot of you any time soon. For more than one reason."

"Thank you for everything. I'll put these gauntlets to good use.", nodded Gil.

"Oh, I'm sure you will." Dusty sighed to himself. "Well I suppose that's about it. Try not to get yourself too hurt next time, alright, Gil?"

Gil half-lidded his eyes. "I'll try." He looked to the right and saw the three others eyeing him.

Dusty laughed. "Seems like those three don't believe you. You girls gonna keep a close eye on him?"

"You betcha! We're gonna take reeeal good care of him.", smiled Neptune.

"Yeah. I'll make sure he doesn't do anything reckless.", said Uzume, with determination.

Renna stared at Gil. "Of course. I always do."

Gil looked away. He had a really bad feeling about what was to come…

Dusty laughed again. "You've done this to yourself, Gil." he clapped his hands together. "But you'd all best be off. It's not a quick path from here to Planeptune. If I were you, I'd do it over multiple days."

Neptune nodded excitedly. "That's what we were planning on doing anyway! Like a good ol' fashioned camping trip!"

"Then get to it. If we ever meet again, make yourselves known, alright?"

All four adventurers nodded their heads.

Neptune heartily waved. "Buh-byeeeee!"

Uzume saluted. "See ya later, Dusto."

Renna smiled sadly. "Bye, Dusty. Thanks for everything."

Gil smiled lightly. "Goodbye, Dusty."

"Now go. Enjoy yourselves.", finished Dusty.

They all nodded and turned around, heading down the street. As they were about to turn the corner, they all turned their heads and saw Dusty wave at them. They all returned the gesture, and were out of sight.

"So… Where are we headed?", asked Neptune.

They started heading South-West, towards the direction of Planeptune. They were going to trek across the wilderness, pitching up camps as they took in the lands. They all had supplies to last the trip, and they decided to think about how they'd set up in the city when they got there.

So off they set, leaving the city of Lowee, it's streets, and Dusty, behind.

And they welcomed the city of Planeptune as their next destination.

* * *

**And that's that. The end of that part. **

**We've been focused on the siblings, Neptune and Uzume for so long, you could say that they've been the protagonists for quite some time. I hope it hasn't felt too dragged out.**

**But now, the focus will shift back to the main cast of characters. For how long? Who knows. But for quite some time. Things are going to happen.**

**As always, constructive reviews and comments that you guys leave are greatly appreciated. Helps me improve myself. **

**That's it for this one.**

**Goodbye for now!**


End file.
